Caso cerrado (show)
Encyclopedia
Caso Cerrado formerly Sala de parejas (Couples' Court), is a Spanish-language court show broadcast by Telemundo
in which Cuban
-born lawyer
Ana María Polo
arbitrates cases for volunteer participants.
. Along with the expansion of content came the renaming of the program to Caso Cerrado, so named due to the phrase spoken by Polo at end of arbitration, which is usually accompanied by the strike of a gavel
.
On each show, Polo usually considers up to three cases between conflicting guests and attempts to resolve them as an arbiter
. Polo does not function as a judge, but an arbiter to settle differences between litigants. Before participating, guests are required to sign contracts agreeing to recognize and comply with Polo's decision.
Until 2006 the program was produced by Promofilm Estados Unidos. It is now solely produced by Telemundo
.
, "Many cases have to be arranged. Here what counts is the message that it sends." She added that all cases are real, however, sometimes actors are used in cases where participants in the dispute do not want to appear on the program.
. According to Businesswire.com, 1,455,000 people tune in to the show daily, and it is the number one Spanish-language program in the 4PM time slot. 39% of the viewers of Caso Cerrado are between the ages of 18 - 34. In addition to the Telemundo broadcast, the program is also carried by a number of other channels in Latin America
.
programs. Due to the success of the original Caso Cerrado in Chile, Caso Cerrado Chile began production with Polo as host and has aired on MEGA since September 18, 2009.
The format of Caso Cerrado has been duplicated by other Chilean programs, including Tribunal oral on Canal 13
, Veredicto on Mega, and La Jueza on Chilevisión
from the former production company of Caso Cerrado, Promofilm
.
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
in which Cuban
Cubans
Cubans or Cuban people are the inhabitants or citizens of Cuba. Cuba is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
-born lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
Ana María Polo
Ana María Polo
Ana María Polo is a Cuban American lawyer and Hispanic television judge on Caso Cerrado.Born in Havana, Cuba, Ana, moved to Miami at a young age accompanied by her family...
arbitrates cases for volunteer participants.
Description
Sala de parejas began in February 2002 and originally dealt with the arbitration of marital problems between litigants. The program continued under that name until April 2005, when it was expanded to include other disputes not related to marital issues, such as domestic and child abuse, and occasional segments where Polo seeks to educate the audience about issues related to lawLaw
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. Along with the expansion of content came the renaming of the program to Caso Cerrado, so named due to the phrase spoken by Polo at end of arbitration, which is usually accompanied by the strike of a gavel
Gavel
A gavel is a small ceremonial mallet commonly made of hardwood, typically fashioned with a handle and often struck against a sound block to enhance its sounding qualities. It is a symbol of the authority and right to act officially in the capacity of a chair or presiding officer. It is used to call...
.
On each show, Polo usually considers up to three cases between conflicting guests and attempts to resolve them as an arbiter
Arbitration
Arbitration, a form of alternative dispute resolution , is a legal technique for the resolution of disputes outside the courts, where the parties to a dispute refer it to one or more persons , by whose decision they agree to be bound...
. Polo does not function as a judge, but an arbiter to settle differences between litigants. Before participating, guests are required to sign contracts agreeing to recognize and comply with Polo's decision.
Until 2006 the program was produced by Promofilm Estados Unidos. It is now solely produced by Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
.
Recognition
In 2010, Caso Cerrado made history by becoming the first show on a Spanish-language station to be nominated for an Emmy award. Ana María Polo was nominated for an episode of Caso cerrado that covered a family's troubles with a horse that they had purchased under false pretenses.Criticism
Caso Cerrado has been the subject of challenges to the veracity of the claims presented on the program. At the close of the program, a disclaimer is presented following the credits stating that many cases are dramatized. On January 4, 2009, Ana María Polo stated during an interview with the Chilean newspaper La TerceraLa Tercera
La Tercera , formerly known as La Tercera de la Hora , is a daily newspaper published in Santiago, Chile and owned by Copesa. It is El Mercurios closest competitor....
, "Many cases have to be arranged. Here what counts is the message that it sends." She added that all cases are real, however, sometimes actors are used in cases where participants in the dispute do not want to appear on the program.
Broadcast
In the United States, where it is produced, Caso Cerrado is broadcast exclusively by TelemundoTelemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
. According to Businesswire.com, 1,455,000 people tune in to the show daily, and it is the number one Spanish-language program in the 4PM time slot. 39% of the viewers of Caso Cerrado are between the ages of 18 - 34. In addition to the Telemundo broadcast, the program is also carried by a number of other channels in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
.
Influence
In 2009, Ana María Polo visited Chile to attend various MEGARed Televisiva Megavisión
MEGA, formerly known as Red Televisiva Megavisión, is the first private TV channel of Chile. It currently airs in Santiago on digital frequency channel 27 for HDTV.Among the many TV shows broadcast on MEGA are:...
programs. Due to the success of the original Caso Cerrado in Chile, Caso Cerrado Chile began production with Polo as host and has aired on MEGA since September 18, 2009.
The format of Caso Cerrado has been duplicated by other Chilean programs, including Tribunal oral on Canal 13
Canal 13 (Chile)
Canal 13 , is the second oldest television station in Chile. It is owned by Luksic Group associated with the Papal Catholic University of Chile. Its inaugural transmission took place on August 21, 1959...
, Veredicto on Mega, and La Jueza on Chilevisión
Chilevisión
CHV, also known as Chilevisión, is the third oldest television station in Chile. Formerly called Teleonce and RTU , this TV station was owned by University of Chile, a Chilean state university...
from the former production company of Caso Cerrado, Promofilm
Promofilm
Promofilm is a television production company based in Argentina....
.