Do We Win?

Its Not Just Winning Its Winning Ugly 

 Ally McBeal was a US comedy drama that ran for 5 years between 1997 -2002 it followed the trials and tribulations of a fictional us law firm in Boston, Cage and Fish. Its opening episode in 70 seconds gives a great tutorial in the ethics of US legal practice, Further one of its lead characters, Richard Cage, introduced a key legal phrase into the lexicon of all lawyers ' “Do we win?  

It was entertainment of the highest order and rightly won many awards. But, it was not intended as a training manual for the aspirant to become successful lawyers – something that the recent trials and tribulations of one Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, seems to suggest US legal practitioners of a similar age to the fictional Ally, Richard, John and their on screen contemporaries have failed to appreciate.

The Trump trials in New York,  Fulton County, Georgia, and the attempts to debar him from the coming US Presidential elections in multiple States have been both tragic and comedic. I hold no brief for the 45th President,. Some have said with, in their eyes, the support and evidence of his conduct that he is in equal parts mad and bad – others with different perspective treat him with the adoration of Caesar and/or the madness of Commodus. Which view is correct I delegate to history to adjudicate. But for sure the trials currently running on all major US TV channels and the Internet of your choice undoubtedly confirm two things;

1.      US Justice is in a dark place

2.      Its practitioners on display are in what to me seems equal parts mad and bad.

Bad for the sanctity and standing of justice (admittedly something that is often tangential to legal practice).

Mad in their statements and conduct.

I have very little doubt that the charades televised daily especially from New York and Fulton County court rooms, and at each days close to the waiting cameras on their steps, would not be displayed or tolerated in the English or other European courts – those performing would be very quickly debarred and held in contempt or removed on the basis of their actions and bias. No English Judge, Court or Squirrel could possibly admit the New York civil fraud action against Trump to hearing, or conduct themselves with the bias and pre-judgement displayed by “Justice” Engoron, or the rank and unapologetic political motivations of prosecuting DAs Letita James and Fani Willis or, the music hall theatrics of Alina Habba, Trumps New York defence lawyer.

If set to music these cases would surely credit to Gilbert & Sullivan – perhaps updating the view of the Mikado in the duo's comic opera of the same name? Rewritten as a witty, satirical libretto; expressing the players and script writers political opinion by poking fun at the present day American establishment in place of the British one of the late 19th Century? Perhaps acted more in the vein and with the production values of the 1962 film The Cool Mikado with its American plot twist (and poor acting, production standards, costumes etc)

One passage of verse certainly  carries over true to Gilbert's original lyric

 “My object all sublime / I shall achieve in time / To let the punishment fit the crime / The punishment fit the crime.” ...... “On a cloth untrue / With a twisted cue / And elliptical billiard balls.”

Rearrange and update the words as you please – but do not tamper with the meaning and intent .

Listen to these court dramas whilst eating popcorn and watching a replay of Ally McBeal’s greatest moments, it will tell all that is necessary about the current situation of the American 45th President and of his opponents’ efforts to make their available legal solutions fit their problem.

May your god of choice bless, save or commit to never ending legal purgatory America – Based on the current evidence televised from its Courts it’s a difficult  choice for him/her/it to make.