Worthy’s career as prosecutor inspiration for TV show
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is the inspiration for a legal drama in its early stages.
According to entertainment website deadline.com, Worthy is a consultant for “Conviction,” an ABC drama project about a powerful female lawyer. The show’s producers are “How to Get Away With Murder” star Viola Davis and her husband Julius Tennon, as well as Debra Martin Chase, producer of the movie “Sparkle.”
Maria Miller, spokeswoman for the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office, confirmed Wednesday that Worthy is involved in the project, but would not elaborate.
“She has involvement with the project, but she’s not commenting on it,” Miller said.
Miller referred questions to executive producer Kim Swann, who kept mum on Worthy’s involvement.
“We will not comment in this project while it is in the script phase,” Swann said in an email response. “But fingers crossed we will get to pilot!”
Worthy, elected Wayne County prosecutor in 2004, drew national attention in 2008 when she filed charges against then Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick.
More recently, she’s been lauded for her pursuit of clearing a backlog of rape kits, some of which date back 25 years.
In 2009, about 11,300 untested rape kits were discovered in a Detroit Police Department property storage facility.
In June, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed legislation creating new guidelines for hospitals and law enforcement to handle rape kits. The year before, Attorney General Bill Schuette designated $4 million from a state lawsuit settlement fund to pay for clearing the backlog of the untested rape kits.
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