The State of Texas vs. Melissa (2020)

The State of Texas v. Melissa explores the life journey of Melissa Lucio, the first Hispanic woman to be sentenced to death in the state of Texas. For ten years she has been awaiting her fate, and now faces her last appeal. No one had ever seen Melissa be violent towards her children, yet she was blamed for the daily abuse and subsequent death of her two-year-old daughter, who died from blunt head trauma.

Set in the heart of the Latino community of South Texas, the film takes a look at Melissa’s broken childhood, her adulthood plagued by poverty and prejudice, and the miscarriage of justice Melissa faced, from the court-appointed attorney who willingly set aside evidence, to the District attorney who used her case to help his re-election. State of Melissa v. Texas is the portrait of a woman’s fight against an entire system.

1h 37m / Not Rated / Documentary NOW AVAILABLE TO STREAM AT HOME!

The film’s distributor, Filmrise, will split the remaining revenue with Tampa Theatre, 50/50. Please note that this arrangement, in these unprecedented times, means that we are unable to offer Member pricing for virtual screenings. Thanks for your understanding, and THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO SUPPORT TAMPA THEATRE!