First Monday
Encyclopedia
First Monday was a short-lived U.S.
television midseason replacement
drama
centered on the U.S. Supreme Court
. Like another 2002 series, "The Court," it was inspired by the prominent role the Supreme Court played in settling the 2000 presidential election. But public interest in the high court had receded by the time the two shows premiered, and neither was successful.
creator Donald Bellisario
and Paul Levine
, the show aired on CBS
from January until May of 2002. The name First Monday is a reference to the first Monday in October, which is when each Supreme Court term begins.
Joe Mantegna
starred as moderate Justice
Joseph Novelli, who is appointed to a Supreme Court evenly divided between conservatives and liberals. The show examined how the law clerk
s and justices dealt with issues and cases that came before the highest court in the United States.
First Monday generally dealt with two issues per episode. Earlier in the series, that tended to be two cases. Later in the series, that tended to be one case and one personal issue.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television midseason replacement
Midseason replacement
In American and Canadian television, a midseason replacement is a television series that premieres in the second half of the traditional television season, usually between January and May...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
centered on the U.S. Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
. Like another 2002 series, "The Court," it was inspired by the prominent role the Supreme Court played in settling the 2000 presidential election. But public interest in the high court had receded by the time the two shows premiered, and neither was successful.
Premise
Created by JAGJAG (TV series)
JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
creator Donald Bellisario
Donald Bellisario
Donald Paul Bellisario is an American television producer and screenwriter who created and sometimes wrote episodes for the TV series Magnum, P.I., Airwolf, Quantum Leap, JAG, and NCIS...
and Paul Levine
Paul Levine
Paul Levine is an American author of crime fiction, particularly legal thrillers. His novels have been translated into 21 languages. He has written three series, known generally by the names of the protagonists: "Jake Lassiter," "Solomon and Lord," and “Jimmy Payne.”Lassiter, a Miami Dolphins...
, the show aired on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from January until May of 2002. The name First Monday is a reference to the first Monday in October, which is when each Supreme Court term begins.
Joe Mantegna
Joe Mantegna
Joseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
starred as moderate Justice
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
Joseph Novelli, who is appointed to a Supreme Court evenly divided between conservatives and liberals. The show examined how the law clerk
Law clerk
A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
s and justices dealt with issues and cases that came before the highest court in the United States.
First Monday generally dealt with two issues per episode. Earlier in the series, that tended to be two cases. Later in the series, that tended to be one case and one personal issue.
Main cast
- Justice Joseph Novelli (Joe MantegnaJoe MantegnaJoseph Anthony "Joe" Mantegna, Jr. is an American actor, producer, writer,director, and voice actor. He is best known for his roles in box office hits such as Three Amigos , The Godfather Part III , Forget Paris , and Up Close & Personal...
) was a newly-appointed moderate Supreme Court JusticeAssociate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United StatesAssociate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States...
. - Chief Justice Thomas Brankin (James GarnerJames GarnerJames Garner is an American film and television actor, one of the first Hollywood actors to excel in both media. He has starred in several television series spanning a career of more than five decades...
) was the football-obsessed, conservative Chief Justice of the United StatesChief Justice of the United StatesThe Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
. - Justice Henry Hoskins (Charles DurningCharles DurningCharles Durning is an American actor. With appearances in over 100 films, Durning's memorable roles include police officers in the Oscar-winning The Sting and crime drama Dog Day Afternoon , along with the comedies Tootsie, To Be Or Not To Be and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, the last two...
) was Brankin's best friend and a conservative justice, who often spouted limerickLimerick (poetry)A limerick is a kind of a witty, humorous, or nonsense poem, especially one in five-line or meter with a strict rhyme scheme , which is sometimes obscene with humorous intent. The form can be found in England as of the early years of the 18th century...
s during conversation. - Justice Michael Bancroft (James KarenJames KarenJames Karen is an American character actor of Broadway, film and television.-Life and career:Karen was born Jacob Karnofsky in Wilkes-Barre, in northeastern Pennsylvania, the son of Russian-born Jewish immigrants Mae and Joseph H. Karnofsky, a produce dealer. As a young man, Karen was encouraged...
) was a liberal justice. - Miguel Mora (Randy VasquezRandy VasquezRandy Vasquez is an American actor.Vasquez has made several appearances in TV series, most notably Marcos in Acapulco H.E.A.T. and as Gunnery Sergeant Victor Galindez in JAG. In 2005 he directed a comedic drama titled Perceptions.-Partial filmography:*Level Seven .... Warden Vasquez*Perceptions ...
) was Novelli's conservative law clerkLaw clerkA law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a judge in researching issues before the court and in writing opinions. Law clerks are not court clerks or courtroom deputies, who are administrative staff for the court. Most law clerks are recent law school graduates who...
. - Ellie Pearson (Hedy BurressHedy Burress-Early life:She was born Heather Elizabeth Burress in Edwardsville, Illinois, to teacher parents. She attended Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, before relocating to Los Angeles, California, in 1995.-Career:...
) was Novelli's liberal law clerk. - Jerry Klein (Christopher WiehlChristopher Wiehl-Life and career:Wiehl was born in Yakima, Washington. He graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Arts degree in dramatic arts. He is the brother of legal analyst Lis Wiehl....
) was Novelli's moderate law clerk. - Julian Lodge (Joe FlaniganJoe FlaniganJoe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
) was Brankin's law clerk.
Other Supreme Court Justices
- Justice Esther Weisenberg (Camille SaviolaCamille Saviola-Early life:Saviola was born in The Bronx, New York City, New York, the daughter of Mary and Michael Saviola. She grew up near Yankee Stadium and graduated from Music and Arts High School then attended college for one year before dropping out to get into acting...
) was a liberal justice. - Justice Jerome Morris (James McEachinJames McEachinJames McEachin is an American actor, award-winning author, and known for his many character roles such as portraying police Lieutenant Brock in several Perry Mason television movies.-Military career:...
) was a liberal justice. - Justice Deborah Szwark (Gail StricklandGail StricklandGail Strickland is an American character actress.Strickland was born in Birmingham, Alabama, the daughter of Theodosia and Lynn Strickland, who owned a tire shop...
) was a conservative justice. - Justice Theodore Snow (Stephen Markle) was a liberal justice.
- Justice Brian Chandler (Lyman WardLyman WardLyman Ward is a Canadian actor.-Biography:Ward was born and raised in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada and graduated from Saint Malachy's Memorial High School in the class of 1958, and then in 1963 from St...
) was a conservative justice.
Novelli's family
- Sarah Novelli (Linda PurlLinda PurlLinda Purl is an American actress and singer, perhaps best known for portraying Ben Matlock's daughter Charlene Matlock in season one of Matlock.-Early life and education abroad:...
) was a real estateReal estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
agent and Novelli's wife. - Andrew Novelli (Brandon Davis) was Novelli's son.
- Beth Novelli (Rachel Grate) was Novelli's daughter.
Others
- Charles BierbauerCharles BierbauerCharles Bierbauer was for many years CNN’s senior Washington correspondent and a veteran reporter covering national and international affairs....
(himself) was host of Curveball, a political talk showTalk showA talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
. - Senator Edward Sheffield (Dean StockwellDean StockwellDean Stockwell is an American actor of film and television, with a career spanning over 65 years. As a child actor under contract to MGM he first came to the public's attention in films such as Anchors Aweigh and The Green Years; as a young adult he played a lead role in the 1957 Broadway and...
) was a liberal U.S. SenatorUnited States SenateThe United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
who plotted to get Novelli impeached. Following the show's cancellation, Sheffield became a recurring character on JAGJAG (TV series)JAG is an American adventure/legal drama television show that was produced by Belisarius Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television and, for the first season only, NBC Productions...
. The character later became the Secretary of the NavyUnited States Secretary of the NavyThe Secretary of the Navy of the United States of America is the head of the Department of the Navy, a component organization of the Department of Defense...
.
Main Crew
- Lou AntonioLou AntonioLou Antonio is an American actor and TV director best known for performing in the films Cool Hand Luke and America, America...
(unknown episodes) - Donald P. Bellisario (unknown episodes)
- Alan J. Levi http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0505420/
- Bradford May http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0561879/
- James Whitmore Jr.James Whitmore Jr.James Allen Whitmore III , better known by the name James Whitmore, Jr., is an American actor best known for his role as Captain Jim Gutterman on the television program Baa Baa Black Sheep , and a television director...
(unknown episodes) - Michael ZinbergMichael ZinbergMichael A. Zinberg is an American television director, producer and writer.He has directed episodes of several American television series such as Everybody Loves Raymond Monk, The Bob Newhart Show, WKRP in Cincinnati, L.A...
(unknown episodes) - Alfredo Barrios Jr. (2 episodes, 2002)
- Randall Anderson (unknown episodes)
- Lynnie GreeneLynnie GreeneLynda "Lynnie" Greene, also known as "Lyn Greene" is an actress, writer, director and producer in the television industry.-Career:...
(unknown episodes) - Paul LevinePaul LevinePaul Levine is an American author of crime fiction, particularly legal thrillers. His novels have been translated into 21 languages. He has written three series, known generally by the names of the protagonists: "Jake Lassiter," "Solomon and Lord," and “Jimmy Payne.”Lassiter, a Miami Dolphins...
(unknown episodes) - Richard LevineRichard LevineRichard Steven Levine is an American environmental architect, solar energy and sustainability pioneer, and professor at the University of Kentucky. He is one of the early solar energy innovators in the U.S., a holder of U.S...
(unknown episodes) - Larry Moskowitz http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0608790/
- Lawrence O'Donnell
Episodes
- Pilot (January 15, 2002)
- Case 1: A Florida death row inmate is struck by lightning, diminishing his mental capacity. The justices must determine whether executing him violates the Eighth Amendment'sEighth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights which prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishments. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that this amendment's Cruel and Unusual...
prohibition against cruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
. The justices refuse to grant certiorariCertiorariCertiorari is a type of writ seeking judicial review, recognized in U.S., Roman, English, Philippine, and other law. Certiorari is the present passive infinitive of the Latin certiorare...
. - Case 2: A MexicanMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
transsexual seeks asylum in the United States, due to social persecution of transsexuals in Mexico. The justices rule against the transsexual when it is discovered that the transsexual is actually a transvestiteTransvestismTransvestism is the practice of cross-dressing, which is wearing clothing traditionally associated with the opposite sex. Transvestite refers to a person who cross-dresses; however, the word often has additional connotations. -History:Although the word transvestism was coined as late as the 1910s,...
.
- Case 1: A Florida death row inmate is struck by lightning, diminishing his mental capacity. The justices must determine whether executing him violates the Eighth Amendment's
- Age of Consent (January 18, 2002)
- Case 1: A pregnantPregnancyPregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...
teenager gains permission from a court to obtain an abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
. Her parents oppose the abortion and appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn the decision. The justices rule in favor of the girl and the lower court. - Case 2: The Supreme Court hears a case involving a school bully's hurtful comments and the school district's efforts to punish his speech. The justices rule the district's policies violate the bully's First AmendmentFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
right to freedom of speechFreedom of speechFreedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
.
- Case 1: A pregnant
- The Price of Liberty (January 25, 2002)
- Case 1: A masked witness testifies in a case against a drug dealer. The prosecution refuses to name of the witness since three previous named witnesses in the case were killed although there is no evidence the defendant was involved in the killing. The defense appeals to the Supreme Court, and the justices rule that the defendant's Sixth AmendmentSixth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights which sets forth rights related to criminal prosecutions...
right "to be confronted with the witnesses against him" was violated, so the witness must be named, or she will not be able to testify. - Case 2: A dwarfDwarfismDwarfism is short stature resulting from a medical condition. It is sometimes defined as an adult height of less than 4 feet 10 inches , although this definition is problematic because short stature in itself is not a disorder....
lawyer accuses his law firm of discrimination because the firm installed a "mini-office" for him, claiming to be accommodating his disability. He claims the mini-office has resulted in his being treated differently, as if he were a sideshowSideshowIn America, a sideshow is an extra, secondary production associated with a circus, carnival, fair or other such attraction.- Types of attractions :There are four main types of classic sideshow attractions:...
. The lawyer also says his size is not a disability. The justices rule in favor of the law firm as the mini-office was a reasonable accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities ActAmericans with Disabilities Act of 1990The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
.
- Case 1: A masked witness testifies in a case against a drug dealer. The prosecution refuses to name of the witness since three previous named witnesses in the case were killed although there is no evidence the defendant was involved in the killing. The defense appeals to the Supreme Court, and the justices rule that the defendant's Sixth Amendment
- Crime and Punishment (February 1, 2002)
- A criminal with two previous felonyFelonyA felony is a serious crime in the common law countries. The term originates from English common law where felonies were originally crimes which involved the confiscation of a convicted person's land and goods; other crimes were called misdemeanors...
convictions is sentenced to life in prison after committing a misdemeanorMisdemeanorA misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
. The criminal claims that the state's three strikes lawThree strikes lawThree strikes laws)"are statutes enacted by state governments in the United States which require the state courts to hand down a mandatory and extended period of incarceration to persons who have been convicted of a serious criminal offense on three or more separate occasions. These statutes became...
violates his Fourteenth AmendmentFourteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
right to due processDue processDue process is the legal code that the state must venerate all of the legal rights that are owed to a person under the principle. Due process balances the power of the state law of the land and thus protects individual persons from it...
, the 5th Amendment's prohibition against double jeopardyDouble jeopardyDouble jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same, or similar charges following a legitimate acquittal or conviction...
, the Eighth Amendment'sEighth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights which prohibits the federal government from imposing excessive bail, excessive fines or cruel and unusual punishments. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that this amendment's Cruel and Unusual...
prohibition against cruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishmentCruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing criminal punishment which is considered unacceptable due to the suffering or humiliation it inflicts on the condemned person...
, and the Article I, Section 10Article One of the United States ConstitutionArticle One of the United States Constitution describes the powers of Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. The Article establishes the powers of and limitations on the Congress, consisting of a House of Representatives composed of Representatives, with each state gaining or...
prohibition against states' making ex post facto lawEx post facto lawAn ex post facto law or retroactive law is a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences of actions committed or relationships that existed prior to the enactment of the law...
s. The justices rule against the criminal.
- A criminal with two previous felony
- Family Affairs (February 8, 2002)
- Case: A man with two wives convicted of bigamyBigamyIn cultures that practice marital monogamy, bigamy is the act of entering into a marriage with one person while still legally married to another. Bigamy is a crime in most western countries, and when it occurs in this context often neither the first nor second spouse is aware of the other...
appeals a lower court verdict, claiming anti-bigamy laws violate his First AmendmentFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
right to freedom of religionFreedom of religionFreedom of religion is a principle that supports the freedom of an individual or community, in public or private, to manifest religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, and observance; the concept is generally recognized also to include the freedom to change religion or not to follow any...
. The justices rule 4-4 (with Novelli abstaining after not being present to hear the arguments) against the man when one of the justices believes the man's religious beliefs do not actually support bigamy. (See Reynolds v. United StatesReynolds v. United StatesReynolds v. United States, , was a Supreme Court of the United States case that held that religious duty was not a suitable defense to a criminal indictment...
for a similar issue). - Personal Issue for Justice Novelli: A reporter uncovers possible ties between the Novelli family and the MafiaMafiaThe Mafia is a criminal syndicate that emerged in the mid-nineteenth century in Sicily, Italy. It is a loose association of criminal groups that share a common organizational structure and code of conduct, and whose common enterprise is protection racketeering...
.
- Case: A man with two wives convicted of bigamy
- Dangerous Words (March 1, 2002)
- The widowWidowA widow is a woman whose spouse has died, while a widower is a man whose spouse has died. The state of having lost one's spouse to death is termed widowhood or occasionally viduity. The adjective form is widowed...
of a murderMurderMurder is the unlawful killing, with malice aforethought, of another human being, and generally this state of mind distinguishes murder from other forms of unlawful homicide...
ed abortionAbortionAbortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
doctorPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
wins a $6 million case against an extremist pro-lifePro-lifeOpposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
web site that advocated the killing of her husband and several other abortion doctors. The web site operator argues he is protected by his First AmendmentFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
right to freedom of speechFreedom of speechFreedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without censorship. The term freedom of expression is sometimes used synonymously, but includes any act of seeking, receiving and imparting information or ideas, regardless of the medium used...
. The justices overturn the verdict after finding that the site was not responsible for the murder and that the web site was indeed protected under the First Amendment. - Personal Issue for Justice Novelli: The web site operator from the abortion case posts threatening pages targeting Justice Novelli. Beth Novelli finds a humanHumanHumans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
fetusFetusA fetus is a developing mammal or other viviparous vertebrate after the embryonic stage and before birth.In humans, the fetal stage of prenatal development starts at the beginning of the 11th week in gestational age, which is the 9th week after fertilization.-Etymology and spelling variations:The...
in her backpack.
- The widow
- Right to Die (March 8, 2002)
- Case: The wife and daughter of a man in a comaComaIn medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
for nine years battle over whether he should be kept on life supportLife supportLife support, in medicine is a broad term that applies to any therapy used to sustain a patient's life while they are critically ill or injured. There are many therapies and techniques that may be used by clinicians to achieve the goal of sustaining life...
. The wife wants to end life support, arguing her husband would not want to be kept alive in such a state. The daughter argues that she has seen glimpses of life in her father, so life support should be maintained. The justices rule 5-4 that the man's wife has the right to make medical decisions for him. The case foreshadowed the real-life Terri SchiavoTerri SchiavoThe Terri Schiavo case was a legal battle in the United States between the legal guardians and the parents of Teresa Marie "Terri" Schiavo that lasted from 1998 to 2005...
controversy that would gain national attention in 2005. - Personal Issue for Justice Novelli: Sarah Novelli sells a $2.2 million home to the head of an anti-smoking organization while a case regarding the cigaretteCigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
industry is pending before the Supreme Court. When Justice Novelli tells his wife that he will have to recuse himself from the case due to conflict of interestConflict of interestA conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
rules, Sarah returns her commission and quits her job as a real estateReal estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
agent.
- Case: The wife and daughter of a man in a coma
- Court Date (March 29, 2002)
- A high school junior basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
star argues that the NBA'sNational Basketball AssociationThe National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
rule prohibiting high school age players from entering the NBA DraftNBA DraftThe NBA Draft is an annual event in which the thirty teams from the National Basketball Association can draft players who are eligible and wish to join the league. These players are usually amateur U.S. college basketball players, but international players are also eligible to be drafted...
is a violation of antitrustAntitrustThe United States antitrust law is a body of laws that prohibits anti-competitive behavior and unfair business practices. Antitrust laws are intended to encourage competition in the marketplace. These competition laws make illegal certain practices deemed to hurt businesses or consumers or both,...
laws. The justices rule 5-4 that the rule of reasonRule of reasonThe Rule of Reason is a doctrine developed by the United States Supreme Court in its interpretation of the Sherman Antitrust Act. The rule, stated and applied in the case of Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States, 221 U.S...
applies, and the NBA can require the player to complete his high school education.
- A high school junior basketball
- Secrets and Lies (April 5, 2002)
- A case is brought challenging the constitutionality of Megan's LawMegan's LawMegan's Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Individual states decide what information will be made available and how it should be disseminated...
. The sex offenders argue that the law violates their Fourteenth AmendmentFourteenth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution was adopted on July 9, 1868, as one of the Reconstruction Amendments.Its Citizenship Clause provides a broad definition of citizenship that overruled the Dred Scott v...
right to due processDue processDue process is the legal code that the state must venerate all of the legal rights that are owed to a person under the principle. Due process balances the power of the state law of the land and thus protects individual persons from it...
. The advocates of the law argue that it protects public safety. The justices rule in favor of upholding the law. - Personal Issue for Justice Szwark: Justice Novelli tells Justice Szwark that a sex offender is living in her neighborhood after he uses a Megan's LawMegan's LawMegan's Law is an informal name for laws in the United States requiring law enforcement authorities to make information available to the public regarding registered sex offenders. Individual states decide what information will be made available and how it should be disseminated...
database.
- A case is brought challenging the constitutionality of Megan's Law
- Unprotected Speech (April 12, 2002)
- A teenager digitally placed the faces of classmates on to the faces of adultAdultAn adult is a human being or living organism that is of relatively mature age, typically associated with sexual maturity and the attainment of reproductive age....
pornographicPornographyPornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
film actorActorAn actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
s and is convicted under a federalFederal government of the United StatesThe federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
law that prohibits simulated child pornographyChild pornographyChild pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
. The justices find a loophole that allows them to overturn the conviction without overturning the law, with the intention of sending a signal to Congress that the law was too broad and needed be narrowed. - Personal Issue for Justice Snow: An audiotape surfaces of Justice Snow disparaging the other justices at a party.
- A teenager digitally placed the faces of classmates on to the faces of adult
- Strip Search (April 19, 2002)
- Case: The sheriffSheriffA sheriff is in principle a legal official with responsibility for a county. In practice, the specific combination of legal, political, and ceremonial duties of a sheriff varies greatly from country to country....
in a small town searching for a serial rapist begins collecting DNADNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
samples from all the male patients of the town hospital. One person whose DNA is taken but does not match the rapist's DNA sues in a state court, which orders the sheriff to stop the DNA collection. After the sheriff ignores the state court's order, he finds a match. The accused rapist appeals to the Supreme Court. The justices rule 5-4 that the sheriff's collection of DNA was a violation of the Fourth Amendment'sFourth Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the Bill of Rights which guards against unreasonable searches and seizures, along with requiring any warrant to be judicially sanctioned and supported by probable cause...
prohibition against "unreasonable searches and seizuresSearch and seizureSearch and seizure is a legal procedure used in many civil law and common law legal systems whereby police or other authorities and their agents, who suspect that a crime has been committed, do a search of a person's property and confiscate any relevant evidence to the crime.Some countries have...
" by government authorities. The rapist himself is convicted when his wife voluntarily turns over a sample of her husband's DNA. - Personal Issue for Justice Novelli: Beth Novelli refuses to take a drug testDrug testA drug test is a technical analysis of a biological specimen – for example urine, hair, blood, sweat, or oral fluid / saliva – to determine the presence or absence of specified parent drugs or their metabolites...
required for her to participate in high schoolHigh schoolHigh school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
soccerFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, citing the unfairness of the school's policy of singling out athletes for drug testing. The media learn of the story and focus attention on the Novelli family. Justice Weisenberg cites Beth's refusal to take a drug test in deciding the DNA case.
- Case: The sheriff
- Showdown (April 22, 2002)
- Case: The Supreme Court must decide if a small town that bans gunGunA gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s within its borders is constitutional. The justices rule 5-4 that the ban violates the Second Amendment'sSecond Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe Second Amendment to the United States Constitution is the part of the United States Bill of Rights that protects the right of the people to keep and bear arms. It was adopted on December 15, 1791, along with the rest of the Bill of Rights.In 2008 and 2010, the Supreme Court issued two Second...
protection of the right to bear armsFirearmA firearm is a weapon that launches one, or many, projectile at high velocity through confined burning of a propellant. This subsonic burning process is technically known as deflagration, as opposed to supersonic combustion known as a detonation. In older firearms, the propellant was typically...
. - Personal Issue for Justice Novelli: Justice Snow informs his colleagues that Novelli owned a gun that was stolen and used in a drive-by shootingDrive-by shootingA drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
years ago.
- Case: The Supreme Court must decide if a small town that bans gun
- Family Secrets (May 3, 2002)
- Case: The CIACentral Intelligence AgencyThe Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
attempts to stop the publication of a book that may reveal national securityNational securityNational security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
secrets. The author and the publisher argue that they are protected by the First Amendment'sFirst Amendment to the United States ConstitutionThe First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
protection of freedom of the pressFreedom of the pressFreedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
. - Personal Issue for Ellie Pearson: Ellie believes publication of the book will reveal how her father died.
- Personal Issue for Justice Szwark: As the justices sit down to hear oral argument in the case, Szwark storms off when she sees her daughter is the lawyerLawyerA 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...
representing the CIA. She has her daughter brought to her chambers and speaks to her about the CIA's manipulation to force Justice Szwark to recuse herself since her daughter's representation of a litigant in the case constitutes a conflict of interestConflict of interestA conflict of interest occurs when an individual or organization is involved in multiple interests, one of which could possibly corrupt the motivation for an act in the other....
. The other eight justices later vote unanimously that Szwark has no conflict of interest. - As Ellie and Justice Szwark's daughter walk to a restaurant, Szwark's daughter is struck by a car. Ellie cradles her and screams for help, as the season ends with a cliffhangerCliffhangerA cliffhanger or cliffhanger ending is a plot device in fiction which features a main character in a precarious or difficult dilemma, or confronted with a shocking revelation at the end of an episode of serialized fiction...
ending. As the series is canceled after this episode, the cliffhanger is never resolved.
- Case: The CIA
Awards/Nominations
- Bruce BroughtonBruce BroughtonBruce Broughton is a film, video game, and television soundtrack composer who has composed several highly acclaimed soundtracks over his extensive career, including American music classics such as "Homeward Bound," "Silverado", "Tombstone," and wonderfully lyric music for "Miracle on 34th...
was nominated for a 2002 Emmy AwardEmmy AwardAn Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music.
See also
- Supreme Court of the United States in fictionSupreme Court of the United States in fictionLike many institutions that draw public interest, the Supreme Court of the United States has frequently been depicted in fiction, often in the form of legal drama. In some instances, real decisions rendered by real Courts are dramatized, as in Gideon's Trumpet and the seminal trial in The People...
- The Court, a Supreme Court TV drama, starring Sally FieldSally FieldSally Margaret Field is an American actress, singer, producer, director, and screenwriter. In each decade of her career, she has been known for major roles in American TV/film culture, including: in the 1960s, for Gidget or Sister Bertrille on The Flying Nun ; in the 1970s, for Sybil , Smokey and...
, which aired on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
in late March and early April of 2002. This program aired only three episodes before being yanked from the schedule, making it even less successful than First Monday (which aired from January through May of the same year) was for CBS.
External links
- Official CBS Web Site for First Monday (from the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
)