Viola Davis Is Creating a Show About Detroit’s First Female Prosecutor

Viola Davis, who plays defense attorney Annalise Keating on ABC’s How to Get Away with Murder, is trying her hand at exploring the other side of the courtroom. She’s producing a new ABC drama inspired by Kym Worthy, the badass Detroit prosecutor who has led the charge to investigate the city’s 11,000 backlogged rape kits. (Read more about her quest to revive cold cases here.)

Worthy, who has been called the toughest woman in Detroit, is known for prosecuting former mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for obstruction of justice, conspiracy, and perjury, which led to his resignation from office (along with other high-profile scandals.) A sexual assault survivor herself, she’s also revamped the way her office handles rape cases, pioneering a “victim-centered” approach that puts the emphasis on catching rapists rather than questioning victims.

MORE: Here’s what happens when you get a rape kit exam

Viola and her producing partner Julius Tennon will be joined by Debra Martin Chase (Sparkle) to create the new drama Conviction, which will be written by Jason Wilborn (Damages), Deadline reports. Worthy is on board as a consultant.

[DEADLINE]