Thursday, August 10, 2000

Courtroom Voyeurs

We live in such a sue-happy society, it's no surprise that court television shows are successful. I may not be Judge Judy or Judge Reinhold, but I can honorably say that court shows are yet another slice of reality TV that I can do without.
   Corpus Christi's own State District Judge Rose Vela hasn't seen many court shows, but she does have her opinion on the explosion of interest in all things legal.
   "There are a lot of really interesting things that go on in court," Vela said. "But there are also a lot of mundane things that go on in court."
   Leave it to Hollywood to not tell the whole story. When people come to observe her they usually stay only 10 minutes because things can get pretty dry, Vela said. But she's dealing with serious matters and it's not something to be rushed. Whereas the shows portray mostly small claims court, Vela oversees district court cases dealing with more serious issues.
   "Most of what I've seen on those shows is not even remotely similar to what goes on in district court here," she said. "They glamorize the court system."
   They dramatize it, too. If any real judge ever had a mouth like Judge Judy, he or she would be called in front of the Judicial Ethics Commission, Vela said. But the court shows do offer some positive aspects: They show people that there are alternatives to getting violent. Did your apartment manager jack you over? What about the kid next door who stole your lawn mower? Small claims court can be a solution, and these shows provide you with examples (although many times the examples are contrived and foolish).
   With the arrival of the next television season, three new court shows will bare their faces and see whether the American public takes to their varied views of the legal system.
   'Curtis Court'
   Former California prosecutor James Curtis hosts this show, and he and executive producer Mary Duffy see the court show genre as a clean-up crew for the talk shows.
   "People are looking at court shows as a place where there is a very strong structure of right and wrong," Duffy said. "There is a resolution. There are solutions. And that message is very clear, and I think that's why the viewers are now watching these court shows - all six of them that are currently on the air right now - with enormous passion."
   When the syndicating group King World brought the show to Curtis, his initial reaction was that there already were too many court shows.
   They're "not just stopping at who wins and who loses," Curtis said. "(We're) going that step further and dealing with what brought them to court in the first place. Which really, typically has very little to do with money. . . . Court's not really the answer - it's being able to manage these things in your daily lives."
   For example, they were trying a case from New Jersey where kids were playing in the street and one of them cracked the windshield of a neighbor's car. The neighbor was suing for damages, and Curtis asked why the kids were playing in the street. That's where they play, the residents said. So Curtis invited the town's mayor and other citizens to sit in on the court, and he ruled on the windshield case. But for future prevention, the court purchased the kids a basketball hoop to keep them out of the streets.
   "Curtis Court" will air on KRIS-NBC starting Sept. 11.
   'Moral Court'
   Imagine a court show with the excitement of a talk show and the monetary rewards of a game show and you have "Moral Court," an hour-long syndicated program featuring Los Angeles radio personality Larry Elder as host.
   The show will deal with everything from disloyal friends to lazy co-workers. Now, people who have been victims of moral recklessness have recourse. Elder will listen to both sides of the story and render a judgment, awarding the wronged party a prize of either $500, $1,000 or $2,000 (depending on the severity of the offense).
   Most people don't break the law very often, but when you check the everyday people on morality issues, they're usually guilty as sin. Elder said morals are no less important than the laws under which we live, and that's why it's important to choose right over wrong.
   With "Moral Court," though, it pays to be right.
   The success of this show will come from the fact that they aren't taking themselves too seriously. The format is comic, and they play up the fact that money is involved. It looks to be the most entertaining of the court shows, because it plays up the kitsch-laden game show element. It's a modern morality play, only it's televised and with a cash reward.
   "Moral Court" will air on KDF-Fox starting Oct. 2.
   'Power of Attorney'
   This show is the classic court show via Hollywood courtrooms and Beverly Hills wallets. The press release said the show "offers everyday people the opportunity to obtain legal representation from some of the nation's most talented and prestigious lawyers."
   Whatever. These lawyers are talking heads and well-known. They were made celebrities by partaking in high-profile cases, and now they're expensive and unattainable (unless you have a six-figure salary).
   Prime example: Ed Masry, the real-life boss of Erin Brockovich. If you've seen the film, Brockovich forced her passion for a high-dollar environmental case upon Masry. He was quite lucky, because later there was a $333 million settlement to collect. And he was portrayed in a summer blockbuster film by Albert Finney. And he got a spot on this TV show.
   Also on tap is Christopher Darden of O.J. fame. Since the O.J. Simpson trial, Darden left the L.A. County District Attorney's Office and became an associate professor of law at Southwestern University. Oh yeah, he also guest starred in the films "Dear God" and "Liar, Liar" and the TV series "Touched By an Angel" and "Sunset Beach."
   He's a true lawyers' lawyer.
   Other celebrity lawyers include Gloria Allred (a women's rights lawyer who represented the Brown family in the Simpson trial) and her daughter Lisa Bloom (who sued the Boy Scouts for not admitting a girl). The presiding judge is Andrew Napolitano, a New Jersey lawyer who was a judge for eight years.
   "Power of Attorney" will air on KDF-Fox starting Aug. 28.
  
  

 
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