A new TV series, "Conviction", focusing on young Manhattan prosecutors, starts this Friday. But, you can see it before then, on your iPod or laptop, by downloading it for free at the iTunes online store. Cool.

For a free download of iTunes (Mac or PC version) to get the party started, go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/.

[This message was edited by John Bradley on 02-26-06 at .]

[This message was edited by John Bradley on 02-26-06 at .]

I just want to go on record as predicting that this show does more harm than good to our dear profession.

You have been warned.

C'mon, Shannon, don't be afraid of a little reality TV for prosecutors. Don't you believe a new lawyer, making $150,000/year straight out of law school would quit to go work for the DA (and make $50,000)? And, don't you believe he would keep on doing that job, even if his ignorance caused the murder of his felony chief during the first episode? All in a day's work, wouldn't you say?

And don't you believe the DA would immediately plead out the case being tried by that felony chief, not worrying at all about the backlash of going soft on the defendant, who orchestrated the assisination of the felony chief to avoid conviction? Oh, the humanity.

But, don't worry, in the last scene, the good looking female prosecutor is having a great time in the sack with the felony chief who replaced the assasinated felony chief, so all is well.

I'm confused, Shannon. What exactly are you worried about? This all sounds like a pretty typical week here in Williamson County.

Just an aside, but we've had several folks that decided big firm practice wasn't what it was cracked up to be and now work with the good guys.

Another aside, at least the commercials don't paint us to be out for conviction lying cheats, etc. Think of this as the commercial counter to "Injustice," and all those thousands of wrongfully convicteds added to the system every day . . .

In the next episode, the newly converted prosecutor wins the BIG LOTTO, but decides to stay working as a prosecutor instead of moving to Monaco and living on the Rivera because, well, he likes his job. Not to mention that the straight out of law school hero jumps straight into murder prosecutions.

Next season he is appointed as a special prosecutor in Washington, DC.

He retires after the third season because there are no challenges left for him.

Greg, as you note, the baby prosecutors gets assigned to a murder case right out of the chute.

Meanwhile, another prosecutor, who says she has been with the office for TWO YEARS, is having her FIRST trial and appears to have never been inside a court room.

In that scene, though, I did like the Bailiff telling the prosecutor what questions to ask. That is believable. ("And what happened next?")

Judging from John's description of the first episode, I think I'd rather go see Brokeback Mountain than watch this new series.

Not that there's anything wrong with that, of course.

What I would like to see is a show similar to L&O, which follows a case from the time of crime, thru the police investigation, the effort of the DA's Ofc., and finally trial. The show would show dedication on the part of the cops, and real intelligence and skill in solving the case. By the time they are thru, it is not a dodgy case, with a weird angle, like it usually is in L&O, but instead it is a slam dunk for the state. A serious crime, and a dangerous criminal.

Then I would like the show to show a lazy prosecutor who is fixing to give away the farm on the case in order to move his case load, only to have it rescued by another prosecutor who is outraged by such a deal. The case's new prosecutor meets with the victim's family, where there would be lots of opportunities for tear jerking. It is then we learn what a good fellow the victim was, and how his death has devastated his family, and friends.

The new prosecutor determines to take the case to trial, if the crook won't plea for a substantial jail term.

The show would show the def. atty. as a pragmatic guy who tells his crook: "40 years is a long time--but it's not as long as 60. They have you Three-Fingers, six ways to Sunday. And in the punishment phase, when the jury finds out you've been to the joint 3 times for sexual asslt. of a child as well as attempted murder and armed robbery, they will throw the book at you."

But the snarlly def. says he's not pleading guilty, and he wants a trial.

The trial goes as planned, and after 3 days of court, it goes to the jury.

The jury retires, and after picking a foreman, they discuss the evidence.

"I wonder why they didn't get the fingerprints off of that cellophane wrapper that was found in the dead man's yard?" one juror asks.

"Yeah, that's suspecious! I bet the State is hiding something!" another chimes in.

"The cellophane wrapper? What's so important about that? Even the def. atty. didn't mention that as a problem with the evidence," another says.

"Well, maybe its because he doesn't know as much as I do about crime scene investigations," the 1st juror says, "I've watched lots of cop shows, and believe me, that is critical evidence. We can't convict without that."

And then the verdict comes back: Not Guilty.

The End.