'All Rise' Episode 4: The jury goes on a field trip as the show proves having perspectives from people of color help tell unique stories
Most people figured it would be difficult for 'All Rise' to bring a unique legal drama in 2019 since we've seen many successful and failed legal dramas come and go.
Shows like 'Boston Legal', 'Suits', 'The Good Wife', and 'How To Get Away With Murder' are ones that come easily to mind when you think of good legal dramas.
Then there are those like CBS' 'The Code' and NBC's 'Chicago Justice' that failed to take off. Many wondered whether 'All Rise' would really be able to reinvent the genre.
However, that is where the advantage of having multiple perspectives of people of color come in handy — the writers get to tell new stories.
And so, in this week's episode, we see something that is not often shown and is not that common in real life either.
Based on certain kinds of evidence that are deemed to be "too large" to be presented in a courtroom, the presiding judge has the right to grant a motion for jury view.
This means members of the courtroom — the judge, lawyers, and most importantly, jurors — take a field trip of sorts to the location intended, which is more often than not, the crime scene.
According to California Code of Civil Procedure, it goes like this: "When, in the opinion of the court, it is proper for the jury to have a view of the property which is the subject of litigation... it may order them to be conducted, in a body, under the charge of an officer, to the place".
This is what happens in episode four. Judge Lola Carmichael (Simone Missick) granted the motion and everyone takes an uncomfortable bus ride to the location.
Dylan had been accused of second-degree murder, helping his friend who has been convicted of the murder in question. His defense is that he did not hear the gunshot from where he was standing due to loud club music.
That is what the jury's field trip is about — the same conditions are recreated so they can judge for themselves whether Dylan could or could not have heard the gunshots.
The demonstration that takes place indicates that Dylan was telling the truth and after a tense active-shooter situation in the middle of the episode, the jury finds him not guilty.
Perhaps the most famous case where a jury field trip was conducted was during OJ Simpson's trial, where he was accused of murdering his wife and her best friend. The jury toured the condo where the double murder took place as well as other locations pertinent to the case.
Another notable trial where a jury field trip took place is that of ex-NFL player Aaron Hernandez, accused of murdering Odin Lloyd, a semi-professional football player.
In this case, the motion for allowing jury view was fraught with controversy as the prosecution claimed this was a move in "strategic manipulation" by the defense of the jury to show Hernandez's trophies.
Legal analyst Danny Cevallos argued in an op-ed for CNN that Hernandez's celebrity status may have influenced the judge's decision. Hernandez was convicted of Lloyd's murder.
In 'All Rise', that's not the case — Dylan is not rich or a high-profile celebrity. Lola grants the motion for a jury view because she felt it was the right thing.
Her decision was questioned many times through the episode by multiple people and it looked like at one point things might go badly for Dylan. However, she speaks to the jurors and makes sure they are unbiased in their final deliberation.
Having the perspective of characters like Lola, Emily (Jessica Camacho), and even Dylan shows that the writers will have something new to write about.
It's an argument that is brought about by many when looking at the number of reboots that are hitting the theatres and screens nowadays. And 'All Rise' is starting to prove that right. 'All Rise' airs on CBS on Monday nights.
