Do the writers simply flip a coin? SVU is more likely to have convictions, I guess since that show is more about catching the perps than the legal maneuvering. But a number of L&O episodes seem to have verdicts that don’t really reflect any point or moral to the preceding 53 minutes of the show. (Other than perhaps “juries sometimes do strange things”)
I’d say for the most part the defendents are found guilty, although I have seen a number of episodes where wealthy defendents are found not guilty. I wonder if this is Wolf’s way of hinting that the rich can get away with anything?
There used to be a website where experts would nitpick shows like West Wing and Law and Order, pointing out how what was portrayed on the show would never happen IRL, and how it would really work. It was very interesting, but I don’t think they do it anymore.
Related comment:
I’ve often noted that while McCoy often gets up and grandstands about some mroal point or whatever, generally speaking he completely failed to establish a case beyond reasonable doubt. The police, in Law and Order, are disgustingly incompetant, and McCoy is the worst prosecutor I’ve ever heard of. His sole skill seems to be making gossipy connections in order to shame or emabarrass people into accepting a deal… and moral grandstanding.
Then, when a case doesn’t go his way, he whines about how the jury “didn’t care about the facts” or let their emotions rule or whatever.
There was an episode, I believe it’s this one from 2004 with Shannon Sossamon, that when it comes on, it’s the only L & O episode I’ll turn off.
It’s the one where she’s either raped, or it was just rough sex with a college professor, and the episode makes a good case for both sides, and there’s conflict between Benson and Stabler.
Then the final courtroom scene, and as the Bus Kid says it:
“…we find the defendant…Dick Wolf” because the frigging closing credits start to roll.
:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:
How? You find the defendant. WHAT???
Bastards.