Forum Overview :: Peter Molyneux's The Movies :: TV Court Shows

[quote name="Mischief Maker"]Wow, I am so ruined for TV court shows actually knowing the rules of evidence, but what really strikes me is how lazy the writers are in creating the courtroom sparring. Way back in Perry Mason, the bad-guy prosecutor just sat there as Perry went through question after objectionable question and did nothing. Eventually TV writers got wise to the fact that the other lawyers <I>just might</I> object every now and then. So what happens now is one lawyer says something completely inappropriate in front of the jury, the other lawyer jumps to their feet and objects, followed by the judge sustaining, the first lawyer does a 5 second smirk to the jury to make sure their point really sinks in, then dismissively says, "withdrawn." That's it. That's how TV lawyers get around roadblocks. And the worst part is the whole double standard. One scene the "bad" lawyer does this and the impression is, "ooh! What a scumbag breaking the rules." The very next scene the "good" lawyer does the exact same thing and it's, "hee hee! The good guy lawyer is such an irascible scamp! He won't let the 'rules' get in the way of justice." I think the worst example of this was this episode of "The Good Wife" I saw last night. The title character goes through objectionable question after objectionable question, leading the jury along her train of thought, every time the judge sustains the other side's objections, <I>yet allows her to continue harping on the same thought with barely altered followup questions!</I> Finally, when she's near her big conclusion, the judge sustains the other lawyer's objection and adds, "You might want to stay standing, counselor, I think her next question will be really objectionable." What the fuck kind of judge doesn't clear the jury out of the courtroom and read the good wife the riot act by question #3? What the fuck kind of lawyer goes through objection after impotent objection without calling for a retrial? And even if you don't care about the realism of the court drama, it's still shitty writing. You've got a battle of wits going on with someone's life in your hands and the cleverest thing they can come up with for the hero to do is the equivalent of making a dash for the end zone before the other lawyer can tackle them? That's the best you can come up with, exorbitantly-paid prime time TV writers? Fun Fact: one of the most realistic movies in terms of evidentiary procedure, courtroom techniques, and appropriate judge response? My Cousin Vinny. Seriously, one of the biggest and most expensive trial lawyers in Madison taught my evidence class and he frequently used clips from that movie as examples of rules and techniques in action. AND IT'S WAY MORE CLEVER THAN THE GOOD WIFE. [youtube id=aElSfkaXtwU&start=425][/quote]