possible spoiler ahead . ( i suggest you read this after have see the film ) i do not know if what i be gon na say can be regard a a spoiler and because after all and this be a documentary and maybe a lot of people know what happen . it quite impossible too to discuss this without give away the end . this documentary ( though this one play out like a terrific film ) chronicle the trial of michael peterson and but at the same time tell you more about morality and prejudice and justice and southern mentality than you could have imagine . the director use a fly on the wall approach to the subject and which be very appropriate in my opinion and though some people clearly regard this a be bias . but you can not argue what you can see in the film . now let me start by say that i would not go into detail about the case ( in which novelist michael peterson be find guilty of murder his then wife and kathleen while the case be now up for appeal and by the way ) . the fact and testimony and evidence and etc . you have to see for yourself and whether it be in this documentary and television footage or in some archive . i would not even go so far a to say that michael peterson do not murder his wife and because after all i wasn not present at the trial ( and even that isn not always a guarantee for justice ) and i have only be offer this material in the form of a documentary ( by french film maker jean xavier de lestrade ) of about 6 hour . so maybe he do it and maybe he do not . but i have study the law myself for several year here in belgium and after have see this film and have read about the case whatever i could find and i really can not conclude otherwise than by say that there at least enough reasonable doubt to set peterson free . for me and more important than the technical discussion in the film ( some people seem to know that for example doctor henry lee sell out to the defense side ) and be the human and moral aspect at play here . i díd see the four son and daughter of michael peterson stand behind their ( step ) father all the way ( with the exception of kathleen daughter caitlin ) . i díd hear prosecutor freda black talk about the filth she find on peterson computer and talk about the homosexual pornography she find ( no relationship and but pure sex ) and the triumphant look in the other prosecutor jim hardin eye ( though he do his best not to show it ) when he find the pornography . for these people it be apparent that the dubious sexual way of peterson be enough from the start to declare him guilty . i can not even begin to understand how it be possible that the homosexual stuff be allow in the trial and or how it be possible that the autopsy report ( by the clearly highly incompetent expert deborah radisch ( do she even know she not allow to make judgment in her report . ) ) be put out on the internet and before the case start . bad of all however and i be shock by the decision of the prosecutor to bring the death of elizabeth ratliff ( a close friend of peterson and about twenty year ago and who die in similar circumstance ) into play here ( they even dig up her corpse again ) . what be they try to prove with that . that peterson be a serial killer who strike once every twenty year in the proximity of a staircase . well and that doesn not go with the theory of kathleen peterson find out about his bisexuality and get herself kill . what be the motive of peterson in the ratliff case by the way . not one single answer on that by the prosecutor . no murder weapon and not a decent motive and not one decent theory by the prosecutor about how michael peterson could have kill his wife ( judge for yourself when you see the staircase of the title ) . but a lot of dirty trick and e. g. bring in peterson sexuality and his writing ( fiction . ) and the death of elizabeth ratliff and and plenty of wild theory ( e. g. the blow poke ) . for me that enough ( multiply by ten ) to conclude there reasonable doubt in this case and but the juror conclude otherwise . beyond a reasonable doubt be a fine concept and too bad some people use it so light heartedly . but it not hard to guess why peterson be convict . not because the prosecutor show he be guilty and but because he bisexual and quite rich and white ( a majority of the juror and the judge be black ) and and because and well and let face it and the juror system simply doesn not work . the prosecutor know very well which button to push ( the emotional and moral one and not too surprising in these bush time ) and even after all have be say and do ( and hardin and black clearly do not even have faith in a guilty verdict anymore ) and those issue simply make the difference . so what if there no proof and we can not stand the man and kay . i could comment on the dubious role the judge ( allow everything and no matter if it relevant while if it can hurt peterson and bring it on ) and some medium ( ignore what be say on the trial and ask silly question and make up a story of your own ) and the police and medical examiner radisch and some of kathleen peterson relative ( i understand their grief and but what her sister do be preposterous ) play here and but enough for now . you be the judge . like peterson lawyer say ( more or less ) represent the outcome do not surprise me . it shake the foundation of my belief in the justice system and in humanity and morality and myself . i doubt if the world be live in today be as safe a some people will have u believe . just look around you . who would like to be judge by such peer .