by Broadway Producers Crash Courtroom Proceedings
In an unprecedented fusion of law and theater, a Manhattan defense attorney’s motion to dismiss was performed as a full-scale Broadway musical, complete with choreographed dance numbers, a live orchestra, and what witnesses described as “unnecessary pyrotechnics for a legal proceeding.” The performance lasted 74 minutes, featured 12 original songs, and resulted in the judge declaring a mistrial out of sheer bewilderment.
Attorney Marcus Bradford explained that traditional legal arguments weren’t connecting with the jury, so he partnered with Lin-Manuel Miranda’s production company to transform his closing arguments into what he’s calling “a multi-sensory justice experience.” The opening number, “Reasonable Doubt (Reprise),” featured Bradford tap-dancing while explaining the burden of proof. Court stenographers report they stopped trying to transcribe the proceedings around the time the courtroom transformed into a replica of Ellis Island for a song about the presumption of innocence.
Judge Ellen Morrison initially tried to maintain order but eventually gave up around the second act when the ensemble cast emerged from the jury box for a chorus line interpretation of the Fourth Amendment. “I’ve been a judge for 23 years,” Morrison told reporters after declaring the mistrial. “I’ve seen a lot of unconventional legal strategies. I’ve never seen jazz hands used to argue against admissibility of evidence.” She’s since requested a sabbatical to process what she describes as “trauma, but with excellent production values.”
According to the American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct, attorneys must represent their clients zealously within the bounds of the law. Those bounds apparently include theatrical performances, as long as they’re well-choreographed and the orchestra doesn’t drown out the objections. Bradford’s musical gambit exists in a legal gray area roughly the size of the stage he had constructed in the courtroom without permission.
This dramatic interpretation of justice would have interested the ancient Indian tradition of “Sangeet,” where philosophical and moral teachings are conveyed through music and dance. Bradford has essentially weaponized this cultural practice, turning it into what he calls “pedagogical litigation.” The jury seemed torn between acquitting his client and demanding encore performances, settling for neither by being dismissed when the judge gave up.
The prosecution team, led by Assistant DA Jennifer Hartwick, attempted to counter with their own musical rebuttal but ran into immediate problems when nobody on the team could carry a tune. “We tried to harmonize during our objections,” Hartwick explained. “But we’re lawyers, not performers. We sound like cats being stepped on, which isn’t persuasive in any venue.” The prosecution eventually resorted to spoken word poetry, which somehow made things worse.
Legal experts are divided on whether musical litigation represents innovation or insanity. Some argue it makes the law more accessible to average citizens who might better understand complex legal concepts when set to music and accompanied by interpretive dance. Others note that the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to a speedy trial, and seven-minute song-and-dance numbers about discovery violations undermine that constitutional promise. Bradford has announced plans to take his legal musical on tour, performing in courtrooms across the country until he’s either disbarred or wins a Tony Award, whichever comes first.
SOURCE: https://nataliegwinters.top/motion-to-dismiss-now-a-musical/
SOURCE: Bohiney.com (https://nataliegwinters.top/motion-to-dismiss-now-a-musical/)
