Justice (2006 TV series)

Last updated
Justice
Justice (TV series).png
Genre Legal drama
Created byTyler Bensinger
David McNally
Starring Victor Garber
Kerr Smith
Rebecca Mader
Eamonn Walker
Opening theme"Lawyers, Guns and Money" by Warren Zevon
Composer Trevor Morris
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes13 (1 unaired in the U.S.)
Production
Executive producersTyler Bensinger
Jerry Bruckheimer
Jonathan Littman
Jonathan Shapiro
ProducersAlfredo Barrios Jr.
Timothy Marx
Patrick McKee
CinematographyMichael Bonvillain
Dermott Downs
EditorsJonathan Chibnall
Ray Daniels III
Steven Lang
Running time60 minutes
Production companies Jerry Bruckheimer Television
Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network Fox
ReleaseAugust 30, 2006 (2006-08-30) 
February 28, 2007 (2007-02-28)

Justice is an American legal drama produced by Jerry Bruckheimer that aired on Fox in the US and CTV in Canada. The series also aired on Warner Channel in Latin America, in Brazil also was aired on Rede Globo, Nine Network in Australia, and on TV2 in New Zealand.

Contents

It first was broadcast on Wednesdays at 9:00 but, due to low ratings, it was rescheduled to Mondays at 9:00, in the hope viewers of the hit series Prison Break would stay tuned. On November 13, 2006, the show was put on hiatus, but two days later the network announced it was shifting it to Fridays at 8:00 to replace the canceled Vanished .

Fourteen episodes of the series were ordered, of which 13 episodes were produced. Twelve of the episodes of Justice have aired in the United States with the final episode airing in Mexico, the UK and Germany.

Premise

Justice is about a team of lawyers from different backgrounds who work at the Los Angeles law firm of Trott, Nicholson, Tuller & Graves (TNT&G) and defend clients involved in controversial and newsworthy cases. While criminal defense is most common, other cases may strike the interest of the firm such as wrongful death and other civil cases. As the title implies, the viewer discovers whether or not "justice" has been served following the verdict, when what really transpired is revealed to the audience.

Cast and characters

Ron Trott

Portrayed by Victor Garber

He is the head of TNT&G. His overbearing personality and gleefully amoral approach to the practice of law make him exasperating to many—including juries—but he is a skilled, media-savvy lawyer who shares a good rapport and working relationship with his other TNT&G partners. He also has some degree of ethics despite his amorality; when he realizes that the woman he had once loved did indeed murder her son in cold blood he is legitimately heartbroken and is upset when he realizes they helped a guilty man escape justice.

He is the face seen on every media talk show in the country—and he wants it that way. He is great at landing a client, spinning a case and getting his way, but juries hate him. It was his inspiration and win-at-all-cost mentality that brought this group of brilliant, ego-driven attorneys together.

Tom Nicholson

Portrayed by Kerr Smith

He is an idealistic trial lawyer. A native of a small Nebraska town, Hastings, he had a younger sister who died in her late teens. He is only comfortable defending clients whom he believes to be innocent. His youth and appealing demeanor as the all-American face of "not guilty" are cited by Ron as the reason that Tom (rather than Ron himself) should lead most trial representations. In spite of this, he did have some degree of prejudice against people who aren't quite "normal" (as seen in the episode Crucified); after this results in an innocent teenager getting convicted he becomes filled with guilt and wants to handle the appeal despite not being an appealate lawyer.

Tom is a brilliant litigator whose everyman, earnest manner makes him a Foil to Ron. Trials are won and lost on the art of battle in the courtroom, and Tom is a master of his domain. He has expressed interest in Alden.

Alden Tuller

Portrayed by Rebecca Mader

She processes the physical evidence and hires experts for courtroom demonstrations. She frequently goes to Dr. Shaw for insight. Although she is unmarried, Alden wears a wedding ring in court in the belief that it helps jurors trust her. Unlike Tom, she prefers to believe that her firm's clients are guilty rather than innocent, so she won't be disappointed if they lose. In spite of this, she does have somewhat of a softer side for teenage clients, and is more willing to believe in their innocence (during the two episodes where the firm defends teenage clients Alden is in charge of preparing them for trial and looking after them.)

Luther Graves

Portrayed by Eamonn Walker

Graves is a former prosecutor turned defense lawyer. A leader in the African-American political community, he is well-connected, politically motivated and in possession of an uncanny ability to take a step back and assess the merits of a case from both the prosecution's and the defense's perspective—anticipating the story each side will tell. His role at TNT&G frequently centers on predicting the moves of the prosecution (or the opposing party in civil suits). In "Prior Convictions" he is forced to defend a man he had previously convicted; over the course of the episode he learns that the man, Joshua Morton, had been convicted more because of his lawyer's incompetence and the jury's prejudice than anything Graves had done, and later is presented with proof that Joshua could not have committed the crime. He is fluent in Spanish, as seen in the show's last episode.

Recurring cast and characters

Episodes

No.TitleDirected by [1] Written by [1] Original air date [1] Production Code [1] Nielsen Rating
1"Pilot" David McNally Tyler Bensinger, Jonathan Shapiro, David McNallyAugust 30, 2006 (2006-08-30)2760132.9/8 [2]
The firm represents a husband and father (guest star Sam Trammell) - accused of bludgeoning his wife to death with a golf club - who has been convicted by the media before his trial even begins. They try to prove it was accidental, not intentional.
2"Pretty Woman"David McNally Jonathan Shapiro September 6, 2006 (2006-09-06)3T51015.5/9
The firm represents a poor college student (guest star Amanda Seyfried) accused of stabbing a Hollywood music producer to death in a hotel room. She insists it was self defense, but things keep getting covered up.
3"Behind the Orange Curtain" Karen Gaviola Terri Kopp, Courtney Kemp AgbohSeptember 13, 2006 (2006-09-13)3T51034.9/8
When the bride of a wealthy real estate developer (guest star Teddy Sears) disappears the day before their wedding, the firm represents the bartender suspected of killing her before her body is even found.
4"Addicts" Paul McCrane Lauren Schmidt, Jonathan Shapiro September 20, 2006 (2006-09-20)3T51043.7/6 [3]
The firm represents a wild child (guest star Nikki Reed) who happens to be a close friend of Tom's when she is accused of murdering her former boyfriend at a posh celebrity rehab center.
5"Wrongful Death" Anthony Hemingway Alfredo Barrios Jr.September 27, 2006 (2006-09-27)3T51024.6/7
When a single mother is killed on a theme park roller coaster, TNT&G represents her orphaned daughter (guest star Makenzie Vega) in the wrongful death civil case against the giant conglomerate that owns the park. But was her death an accident, or suicide?
6"Crucified" Jeffrey Hunt Craig O'Neill, Jason Tracey, Jonathan Shapiro October 23, 2006 (2006-10-23)3T51054.2/6
The firm takes on the case of a teenage outcast (guest star Bug Hall) charged with killing the school bully in a most unusual fashion. Tom doesn't believe him, but will he reconsider before it's too late?
7"Death Spiral" Dermott Downs Jonathan Shapiro, Courtney Kemp AgbohOctober 30, 2006 (2006-10-30)3T51074.3/7
A millionaire's son and his blue-collar girlfriend die in a small-engine plane crash; the firm represents the girl's parents (guest stars Kate Burton and Michael Dempsey) in a wrongful-death suit against the wealthy matriarch, but not for money.
8"Shark Week" Danny Cannon Alfredo Barrios Jr.November 6, 2006 (2006-11-06)3T51063.8/6
The firm navigates uncharted waters when it represents a brash internet tycoon (guest star Matt Letscher) and his truckling best friend (guest star MacKenzie Astin) after the half-shark-eaten body of the rich man's wife washes ashore.
9"Shotgun"David McNally Jonathan Shapiro December 1, 2006 (2006-12-01)3T51083.0/5
The firm represents the parking attendant for the TNT&G offices after police arrest him for the murder of his wife, since the only fingerprints on the gun are his.
10"Filicide" Kevin Bray Lauren Schmidt, Alfredo Barrios Jr.December 8, 2006 (2006-12-08)3T51093.3/6
Things get personal for the firm when Ron's former girlfriend (guest star Jane Seymour) stands trial for killing her teenage son, but she maintains it was in self-defense against her abusive son.
11"Prior Convictions" Deran Sarafian Jonathan Shapiro, Courtney Kemp AgbohDecember 15, 2006 (2006-12-15)3T51102.7/5
A man (Mykelti Williamson) whom Luther had successfully prosecuted for murder, 15 years earlier when he was the district attorney, becomes his client after the man is accused of murdering his landlord 2 months after being paroled.
12"Christmas Party"Paul McCraneCraig O'Neill, Jason TraceyDecember 22, 2006 (2006-12-22)3T5111TBA
Luther assists Tom in defending a college student who has been accused of murdering a cab driver. Meantime, a baby has been abandoned in the TNT&G offices, and Ron and Alden must find its parents while the rest of the team are at the annual holiday party.
13"False Confession"John PetersAlfredo Barrios Jr., Lauren SchmidtFebruary 28, 2007 (2007-02-28)3T5112TBA
A teenaged babysitter (Mae Whitman) is blamed for the death of a child and forced to confess. Despite the unfair way the confession was obtained it was allowed in the trial.

Related Research Articles

In United States law, an Alford plea, also called a Kennedy plea in West Virginia, an Alford guilty plea, and the Alford doctrine, is a guilty plea in criminal court, whereby a defendant in a criminal case does not admit to the criminal act and asserts innocence, even if the evidence presented by the prosecution would be likely to persuade a judge or jury to find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. This can be caused by circumstantial evidence and testimony favoring the prosecution and difficulty finding evidence and witnesses that would aid the defense.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Legal drama</span> Subgenre of dramatic fiction

Legal drama is a genre of film and television that generally focuses on narratives regarding legal practice and the justice system. The American Film Institute (AFI) defines "courtroom drama" as a genre of film in which a system of justice plays a critical role in the film's narrative. Legal dramas have also followed the lives of the fictional attorneys, defendants, plaintiffs, or other persons related to the practice of law present in television show or film. Legal drama is distinct from police crime drama or detective fiction, which typically focus on police officers or detectives investigating and solving crimes. The focal point of legal dramas, more often, are events occurring within a courtroom, but may include any phases of legal procedure, such as jury deliberations or work done at law firms. Some legal dramas fictionalize real cases that have been litigated, such as the play-turned-movie, Inherit the Wind, which fictionalized the Scopes Monkey Trial. As a genre, the term "legal drama" is typically applied to television shows and films, whereas legal thrillers typically refer to novels and plays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William Kunstler</span> American attorney and civil rights activist (1919–1995)

William Moses Kunstler was an American attorney and civil rights activist, known for defending the Chicago Seven. Kunstler was an active member of the National Lawyers Guild, a board member of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the co-founder of the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), the "leading gathering place for radical lawyers in the country."

Innocence Project, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal organization that is committed to exonerating individuals who have been wrongly convicted, through the use of DNA testing and working to reform the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. The group cites various studies estimating that in the United States between 1% and 10% of all prisoners are innocent. The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld who gained national attention in the mid-1990s as part of the "Dream Team" of lawyers who formed part of the defense in the O. J. Simpson murder case.

Louise Woodward, born in 1978 (age 45–46), is a British former au pair, who at the age of 18 was charged with murder, but was subsequently convicted of the involuntary manslaughter of eight-month-old baby Matthew Eappen, in Newton, Massachusetts, United States.

<i>Murder One</i> (TV series) American TV series or program

Murder One is an American legal drama television series that aired on ABC from September 19, 1995, until May 29, 1997. The series was created by Steven Bochco, Charles H. Eglee, and Channing Gibson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lynne Stewart</span> American lawyer

Lynne Irene Stewart was an American defense attorney who was known for representing controversial, famous defendants. She herself was convicted on charges of conspiracy and providing material support to terrorists in 2005, and sentenced to 28 months in prison. Her felony conviction led to her being automatically disbarred. She was convicted of helping pass messages from her client Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, an Egyptian cleric convicted of planning terror attacks, to his followers in al-Gama'a al-Islamiyya, an organization designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the United States Secretary of State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Burger</span> Fictional district attorney

Hamilton Burger is the fictional Los Angeles County District Attorney (D.A.) in the series of novels, films, and radio and television programs featuring Perry Mason, the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Neufeld</span> American attorney

Peter J. Neufeld is an American attorney, co-founder, with Barry Scheck of the Innocence Project, and a founding partner in the civil rights law firm Neufeld Scheck & Brustin. Starting from his earliest years as an attorney representing clients at New York's Legal Aid Society, and teaching trial advocacy at Fordham School of Law from 1988 to 1991, he has focused on civil rights and the intersection of science and criminal justice.

Steven Allan Avery is an American convicted murderer from Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, who had previously been wrongfully convicted in 1985 of sexual assault and attempted murder. After serving 18 years of a 32-year sentence, Avery was exonerated by DNA testing and released in 2003, only to be charged with murder two years later.

Leith McDonald Ratten was a convicted murderer from Echuca, Australia whose case ignited controversy and national interest in the 1970s. Leading lawyers were convinced of his innocence. He died in January 2012.

The Nancy Kissel murder case was a highly publicised criminal trial held in the High Court of Hong Kong, where American expatriate Nancy Ann Kissel was convicted of the murder of her husband, 40-year-old investment banker Robert Peter Kissel, in their apartment on 2 November 2003. It was arguably the highest profile criminal case involving an expatriate in Hong Kong's history, and was closely covered in the media.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">M. Gerald Schwartzbach</span> American criminal defense attorney (born 1944)

M. Gerald Schwartzbach is an American criminal defense attorney.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jose Baez (lawyer)</span> American lawyer

Jose Angel Baez is an American criminal defense lawyer and author. He is known for representing high-profile defendants such as Casey Anthony, Aaron Hernandez, Mark Nordlicht, and Harvey Weinstein.

This is a list of notable overturned convictions in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cristina Gutierrez</span> American criminal defense attorney

Maria Cristina Gutierrez was an American criminal defense attorney based in Baltimore, Maryland, who represented several high-profile defendants in the 1990s. She was the first Latina to be counsel of record in a case before the Supreme Court of the United States. In 2001, Gutierrez was disbarred, with her consent, following multiple complaints from clients who paid her for legal work she failed to perform. At the time, Gutierrez was dying from a combination of multiple sclerosis and diabetes, and her health was rapidly deteriorating.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">William J. Fallon (attorney)</span> American lawyer

William J. Fallon christened The Great Mouthpiece by the press was a prominent defense attorney during the 1920s who defended the gangster Arnold Rothstein and his accomplice Nicky Arnstein during the trial for the fixing of the 1919 World Series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alissa Bjerkhoel</span> American wrongful conviction advocate

Alissa Leanne Bjerkhoel is an American litigation coordinator at the California Innocence Project (CIP), a law school clinic that investigates cases of factual innocence while training law students. Bjerkhoel was born in Truckee, California, and later graduated from California Western School of Law (CWSL) after previously obtaining a B.A. degree She has been an attorney with CIP since 2008. Bjerkhoel has served as counsel for CIP on numerous criminal cases, and achieved the legal exoneration of a number of convicted prisoners. Bjerkhoel serves as CIP's in-house DNA expert and also serves as a panel attorney with the nonprofit law firms Appellate Defenders, Inc. (ADI) and Sixth District Appellate Program (SDAP). She is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences. Bjerkhoel has won a number of awards.

McCoy v. Louisiana, 584 U.S. ___ (2018), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held the Sixth Amendment guarantees a defendant the right to decide that the objective of his defense is to maintain innocence at all costs, even when counsel believes that admitting guilt offers the defendant the best chance to avoid the death penalty.

Siwatu-Salama Ra is an American environmental and racial justice organizer. She is known for standing trial for assault and firearm felonies following an altercation where she displayed an unloaded and legally owned handgun in Michigan, a stand your ground state. Her case has been widely cited as an example of a racist justice system in the United States and highlighting the issues with mandatory minimum sentencing. She gave birth during her time in Women's Huron Valley Correctional Facility. In August 2019 she won her appeal and her conviction was reversed.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Justice (2006) Episode Guide". TV.com. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 2 February 2010.
  2. "The Hollywood Reporter".[ dead link ]
  3. Zap2It.com