Question of the Week

What's your favorite trial scene from a movie?

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A Few Good Men

Jack Nicholson as Col. Nathan R. Jessep in A Few Good Men. Photo from MovieStillsDB.

If you're a fan of courtroom scenes in movies, are you more of a "You can't handle the truth!" type via Jack Nicholson in A Few Good Men, or are you more of a "And the truth shall set you free!" type via Jim Carrey in Liar, Liar?

Whether you go for funny setups in the court or ones with more serious tones, there’s no denying that there are a plethora of trial scenes in films that you can’t ever forget.

A famous scene (technically from a Senate hearing rather than a trial) even made its way into federal prosecutors’ case against political consultant Roger Stone, whose trial began Tuesday.

The Justice Department indictment against Stone, a former confidant of President Donald Trump, says Stone told an associate to “do a Frank Pentangeli”—a reference to the character in The Godfather Part II who backed out of incriminating Michael Corleone. The judge rejected the DOJ request to show a clip of the Pentangeli scene at trial—they can only use a transcript of the scene.

This week, we’d like to ask: What’s your favorite trial scene from a movie? And why is it your favorite? Because it made you laugh? Because it was realistic? (And if your favorite trial scene is actually from television—go ahead and share it.)

Answer in the comments on our social media channels via Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Check out last week’s question: What are your favorite accessories for the fall?

And view some of last week’s answers from Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Do you have an idea for a future Question of the Week? If so, contact us.

See also:

ABA Journal: “The 25 Greatest Legal Movies”

ABA Journal: “The 25 Greatest Legal Movies: Expanding the Boundaries”

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