The Real Deal

Who never watched the famous television series, Law and Order, in which detectives solve impossible crimes, have intelligent arguments and relevant evidence to condemn a criminal, and have the penal system judge the case in a short amount of time?

Although some may not enjoy it, it is safe to say that the majority of the adult population with access to cable TV has seen at least five minutes of this show, that has been aired for about 20 years. This sort of TV series is definitely amusing, but the problem with it is the lack of reality present in them. Not all cases can be solved, not all criminals are punished, and definitely not all cases are judged within a small time frame.  Also, these shows are filled with sensationalism, due to their obvious main goal: which is to provide entertainment.

The issue? Well, the population gets the wrong picture about how the system actually works.  The producer and writer of the series, Richard Sweren, admitted that there are “creative shortcuts” made when depicting the legal process in the episodes. Although the people are exposed to several aspects of law through Law and Order, when they face the judicial system they learn the hard way that things do not work in the way they are pictured on TV. Sweren goes on and declares that he gets letters from lawyers, policemen, and judges, saying, “that would never happen, or this would never happen.” But the problem goes beyond the show not being completely trustworthy when it comes to portraying reality…

Another major problem, that is vastly unnoticed, is time frame. A process that is screened in 90 seconds, consumes about an hour in real-life. For example, in real-life, the judge goes over a citizen’s rights and makes sure the person in question understands them, and also goes over every component involved in the case during trials. As a passionate fan of Law and Order, I can guarantee that in the TV show, sometimes this entire process happens so fast, that views can’t even notice it. Again, the show is not successful in demonstrating to the public how the penal system truly functions.

Furthermore, the show does not picture the “behind the scenes” work of prosecutors, lawyers, and judges. These professionals have to study the cases and laws deeply, in order to properly perform their jobs. I have always desired to attend Law school, and I would never know how the system functions in real life if it were not for my father, a lawyer, who I constantly saw reading hundreds of lawsuits and sets of laws when following the requirements for his profession. A viewer of Law and Order may decide to join Law school thinking about what he/she may see on TV, when there is a completely different reality awaiting…

Although the TV show in question is quite enjoyable, more effort should be put into making it become more realistic, causing it to be informative and entertaining concurrently. Time to give an opportunity for the audience to face the real deal.

Please, feel free to visit my sources:

1. http://thegazette.com/2011/03/09/law-order-this-is-not/ (Article)
2. http://www.america.gov/st/usg-english/2009/July/20090706175942ebyessedo0.4532893.html (Interview with Law and Order writer and producer, Richard Sweren)