Although the Perry Mason moment sounds incredible, bringing an exciting sense of drama to court cases, it isn’t as popular as the man himself. In “References to Television Shows in Judicial Opinions and Written Advocacy (Part I),” the Journal of the Missouri Bar cited that the term stems from “Mason’s dramatic cross-examination that led a key witness or a spectator to break down on the stand or elsewhere in the courtroom, often with a tearful confession.” While such instances do sometimes occur in criminal or civil proceedings, they are “very rare.”
Unfortunately, in modern-day court settings, attorneys come well-prepared, with both sides generally knowing what direction the trial will go. Also, pretrial discovery requires both parties to submit their evidence beforehand, so everyone knows what each side will present. These days, very few cases don’t end with a pretrial settlement or plea deal, so the opportunity to introduce new evidence doesn’t arise all that much. If either lawyer were to present new and surprising evidence, they would do so in a private conference with the other attorney and the judge, removing the drama that the Perry Mason moment relies on. Unfortunately, real-life court cases aren’t as exciting as the ones in “Perry Mason,” leaving the twist and turns for Matthew Rhys to reveal on HBO.
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