Penalty Phase is a 1986 American made-for-television thriller drama film directed by Tony Richardson and starring Peter Strauss.
Supreme court judge, Kenneth Hoffman (Peter Strauss) oversees a high-profile murder trial which appears to be an open-and-shut case. The murderer has confessed and Prosecutor Susan Jansen (Jonelle Allen) is direct and hard hitting, and the jury has delivered a guilty verdict. However, Judge Hoffman discovers that the evidence was not legally obtained, and for him to reject it and the trial outcome may have consequences for his career.