Fiona Apple narrates and scores new court watching short film
Following an extended period of advocating court watching, Fiona Apple has appeared in and provided new music for a Public Safety Assessment for the National Courtwatch Network.
Notably, the New Yorker has become a prominent advocate of court watching in recent times. In the new short film, she explains what the constitutional tradition entails and encourages her fellow Americans to get involved. Apple also presents accounts from her experiences of court watching whilst outlining what occurs in publicly accessible courtrooms, including bail hearings and the documents watchers see.
Court watchers do so in view of keeping the law transparent, hoping to catch any injustices in the criminal justice system that play out in court, particularly regarding constitutional rights. Apple, who resides in California, has been observing the courts in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for two years with Courtwatch PG — the largest virtual court watch program in America.
The new short film is called The Court Watchers, and is narrated by actor Jesse Williams. Speaking to The Washington Post about it, Apple explained: “Court watching is really the gateway to a better community, a better world, because it will make you care. It makes you care about people you don’t know. And we need more of that. We really need more of that.”
Elsewhere, she clarified that her score wasn’t meant to be a “masterpiece”. Instead, it’s a simple accompaniment to the narrative. “When I was playing to the Carmen [Johnson] part, I was just really feeling my love for her and her story,” Apple said. “So I did put my heart into it.”
Apple explained that her court-watching was partially inspired by her 2012 arrest in Texas for drug possession. She continued: “It was drugs, it was hash. I wasn’t violent. But I could have gone away for 10 years, you know? And that’s happening to people all of the frickin’ time. It’s happening to people every day. For less.”
Find out more at courtwatch.org.
