NEW YORK, NY - November 11, 2002 - Court TV will premiere its second original movie, The Interrogation of Michael Crowe, on Wednesday, December 4th at 8 PM ET/PT. The television film is based on Court TV's Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award-winning documentary of the same name about the controversial interrogation and coerced confession of a 14-year-old California boy. The Interrogation of Michael Crowe is a compelling dramatization of this shocking true story, featuring powerful, affecting performances by Ally Sheedy and Mark Rendall, a notable, young Canadian actor who plays the role of Michael Crowe. Sheedy stars as Cheryl Crowe, Michael's mother, who, along with her husband and attorney, fought tirelessly to prove her son's innocence.

The Interrogation of Michael Crowe sheds light on the current and controversial topic of police interrogation techniques and coerced confessions, and examines the issue of whether juvenile interrogations should be taped for the legal protection of all parties. The film is based on the Crowe family, whose 14-year-old son Michael was forced to endure an excruciating police interrogation into the 1998 murder of his 12-year-old sister, Stephanie. Michael repeatedly denied his involvement in her murder, despite hours of intense interrogation without a lawyer or his parents present, but was ultimately broken down and coerced into confessing to the crime. The fact that the interrogation was taped proved that the confession was coerced. That confession resulted in Michael unnecessarily spending seven months in jail.

"The Interrogation of Michael Crowe is a very timely movie given that the issue of coerced confessions is currently in the headlines because of several news-making cases, including the New York Central Park jogger case," said Henry Schleiff, Chairman and CEO of Court TV.

"The film is a story that sadly, never should have happened, but it is one of the most powerful testaments to the importance of taping interrogations of minors," Schleiff said. "The movie makes very clear that only after being interviewed for hours without a parent or lawyer, lied to and intimidated by the investigators, was Michael so worn down and confused, that he confessed to a crime that he did not commit. We are especially pleased to be able to address this topic through a fact based movie and, in doing so, focus further attention on legislation which would require that all juvenile interrogations be taped."

In 1998, 12-year-old Stephanie Crowe was stabbed to death in her home in Escondido, California. Finding no signs of an intruder, police quickly focused their investigation on her brother, Michael, and two of his friends. As Michael's interrogation wore on, the police told him that they had evidence proving his involvement - evidence they did not in fact have. Michael eventually confessed to Stephanie's murder and was arrested and charged, along with his two friends. A fascinating element of the Court TV movie is that every word in the interrogation scenes is taken from the actual police interrogations.

Shortly after the murder, police had also arrested a homeless and mentally ill man named Richard Raymond Tuite, who had been seen on the night of the crime near the Crowe home. Tuite's blood-stained clothes were retained by the police but he was released from custody. Through the dogged persistence of the defense attorney, Tuite's clothes were brought in for DNA testing and Michael's confession was re-examined by the judge. In May 2002, four years after the death of Stephanie Crowe, the California State Attorney General arrested Richard Raymond Tuite, charged him with Stephanie's murder, and also exonerated Michael in the death of his sister. Tuite is scheduled to go on trial in 2003.

Actress Ally Sheedy has appeared in numerous feature films and television projects since she made her screen debut opposite Sean Penn in Bad Boys. She then went on to star in the box office hits The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire. She recently received Best Actress Awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics' Association, the National Society of Film Critics and the Independent Spirit Awards for her performance as Lucy Berliner in the film High Art. Sheedy was recently seen in the Showtime movie Just a Dream with Amy Madigan, Lou Diamond Phillips and Carl Lumbly and directed by Danny Glover. She can also be seen in the upcoming film, Shelter Island, co-starring Patsy Kensit.

This is the second of Court TV's original feature movies. The network's first, Guilt By Association, premiered March 13, 2002 and starred Academy-Award winner Mercedes Ruehl. Court TV is developing other original, feature-length television movies distinguished by strong crime, justice, and social issues. All of Court TV's movies are based on actual cases or are inspired by real events.

The Interrogation of Michael Crowe is produced in association with JB Media and is distributed by Hearst Entertainment. Andrea Baynes, who most recently produced Jumping Ship and The Familiar Stranger, serves as executive producer. The film, written by Alan Hines, is directed by Don McBrearty. Mary D. Silverman and Rosalie Muskatt are the Court TV executives in charge of movie development. Encore presentations of The Interrogation of Michael Crowe include Saturday, Dec 7th at 4pm and 8pm ET/PT; Sunday, Dec 8th at 6pm ET/PT; Friday, Dec 13th at 10pm ET/PT; Saturday, Dec 14th at 6pm ET/PT; Sunday, Dec 15th at 4pm ET/PT; and Friday, Dec 27th at 4pm ET/PT.

Court TV (www.Courttv.com or AOL Keyword: Court TV), a basic cable network, provides a window on the American system of justice through distinctive programming that both informs and entertains. As the destination for programming that focuses on the investigative process, Court TV broadcasts trials by day and such brand defining original programs as Forensic Files and popular off-network series as NYPD Blue in the evening. Court TV is 50% owned by AOL Time Warner, and 50% owned by Liberty Media Corp. The network reaches more than 73 million homes.