quote:

---

Originally posted by Terry Breen:
I always thought the blonde ADA on LA Law somehow didn't act like a prosecutor. She always had this long face on--like she carried the problems of the world on her shoulders. In my experience, prosecutors are the jolliest of attys--we don't have to put up with crazed clients for one thing.

[This message was edited by Terry Breen on 12-10-02 at .]

---

She was depressed because she went from being an important member of a rock band, the Partridge Family, to a hardworking ada.

Humor aside there is a good reason for all of us to be aware of and occassionally watch the law related shows, especially the popular ones. The majority of the public don't have a clue about what we do and how we do it. The aim of these shows is to reach the viewers on an emotional level and that adds to the way they can shape the public views about the justice system. Our jurors go home at the end of the day and they watch these shows and they come away from what they watch with certain expectations. I think it is possible that some of them carry those expectations back to Court with them the next morning. That is why one question I pay attention to on jury questionaires is what shows they watch. If half of my jurors indicated that they watch Law and Order I am going to tune in that week. At least that is the excuse I give my wife for not wanting to miss certain shows.

Above all that there are some great lines being spoken on some of these shows and movies. I think the defense closing argument in an Time to Kill was great. I enjoyed Finches closing in "To Kill a Mockingbird". One lesson that I think many prosecutors can learn from TV closing arguments is that it is the quality and not the quantity of words spoken that can make a difference. There is some great rhetoric being spoken on a lot of these shows. As is indicated on another Post there is a pretty compelling description of what we do and why we do it on an otherwise silly show called the Practice. So tune in or tune out and I will continue to enjoy the guilty pleasure of watching Courtroom antics on TV.