Justice & Judgement (TV Show)

Justice & Judgement
Genre	Police procedural Legal drama Mystery fiction
Created by	Sharon Lucciano
Opening theme	"Theme of Justice & Judgement"
Country of origin	Makko Oko
No. of seasons	24
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Release
Original network	MKBO

Justice & Judgement is a Makko Okoan police procedural and legal drama television series created by Sharon Lucciano and produced by the Makko Oko Box Office, launching the Justice & Judgement franchise. Justice & Judgement airs exclusively on MKBO, premiering on October 30th, 2012, and completing its 24th season on February 20th, 2027. It is the oldest and longest running police drama native to Makko Oko, and it is one of the few shows from the Republic still in production, halting for 3 years from 2018-2020 before resuming production early 2021, introducing two seasons that year.

Premise

In the criminal justice system, the people are protected by two separate yet equally important groups: the police who investigate crime; and the case agents who prosecute the offenders. These are their stories.

– Opening narration spoken by Jorren Koenraadt from Season 7-present

The show is centered on a local station of the Emperor's Civil Control Service (or a local police department prior to season 7) and everybody that works there. Each episode can focus on the members of a different department from homicide to internal affairs. Many of the actors on Justice & Judgement are or were police officers with real-world experience. As the prime and original show in the franchise, some of the actors are found on crossovers with sister shows, such as Detective Charlie Luft, who has assisted on cases with the Justice & Judgement Special Operations Unit and vice versa.

The series delves into the complex and intertwined workings of the criminal justice system in Makko Oko. Viewers get an intimate look into the daily lives and struggles of the dedicated officers and agents who serve and protect their communities. From solving high-profile murder cases to exposing corruption within their own ranks, Justice & Judgement explores the moral and ethical dilemmas faced by these law enforcement professionals.

The show showcases the rigorous investigations conducted by the police, highlighting the meticulous gathering of evidence, interrogation of suspects, and the pursuit of justice. Simultaneously, it delves into the legal proceedings, as case agents build airtight prosecutions, navigate the intricate legal landscape, and ultimately fight to secure convictions.

Alongside the gripping procedural elements, Justice & Judgement also delves into the personal lives of the characters, portraying the toll that their demanding careers take on their relationships, mental well-being, and overall sense of morality. The series weaves together compelling character arcs, exploring the individuals behind the badges and robes, and illuminating the sacrifices they make in their pursuit of truth and justice.

With each episode, viewers become deeply invested in the lives and struggles of the characters as they navigate the murky waters of the criminal justice system. Justice & Judgement is a thought-provoking and captivating series that sheds light on the complexities of crime, law enforcement, and the pursuit of justice in Makko Oko.

Production

History and development

In 2009 whilst directing a show that would later be scrapped named Government Chronicles, Sharon Lucciano would listen to the story of one former Attorney General Carolina Sousa, and while filming a reenactment of a trial, had the idea for a show that "educated people on how the legal process worked in an interesting and dramatic form". Sharon would pitch a basic concept to MKBO executives to be shot down, then going to MiTV, Vollz and even DTV. DTV cited an interest in the idea however executives at the time cited "a lack of interest from our viewer base to fund the endeavor". That would see the concept be canned until June 2010 when Government Chronicles was cancelled by executives citing "displeasure and a lack of awareness among our pilot subjects". To replace it, MKBO greenlit Sharon's concept for 30 episodes with one of them being an initial pilot.

By this point the concept had not been refined and an official name had not been decided. The preliminary concept was to have two-hour long episodes with 45 minutes dedicated to police work, an hour dedicated to the court system and then the remaining 15 minutes being allotted to the prison system. MKBO executives felt that the show "would cause people to lose interest" and had requested that the show be faster-paced. That would see the concept refined into what it became, hour-long episodes with police work and the court system, with both of them sharing that hour. MKBO executives originally scrutinized the concept and the use of state attorneys instead of defense attorneys in the show, however Sharon was able to convince them to "try out a format and potentially become a genre-changer".

The first half of each episode would follow two detectives (a senior and a junior detective) and their commanding officer as they investigate a crime. The second half of the episode would follow the DOJ (later the MOJ) and the courts as two prosecutors, with advice from the Lead Case Agent, attempt to convict the accused. Through this, Justice & Judgement would be able to investigate some of the larger issues of the day by focusing on stories that were based on real cases making headlines.

Production of the pilot and 29 other subsquent episodes would begin in early February 2011 after financial hardship due to increasing inflation led to budgeting overflows in other departments and projects. The pilot episode, later named "Rocky Road", was about a real-life case of front-headline news about a person being killed in a dispute over rocky road ice cream and not being convicted that had occurred just months prior to the start of filming. The concept of using real-life examples hankers to Government Chronicles, and was also done without the approval of MKBO executives, who unknowingly aired it not knowing the contents of the episode. She had initially toyed with the idea of calling the show Day & Night but then hit upon the title Justice & Judgement, and with the name decided in mid-2012, the pilot aired on October 30th, 2012 on MKBO 1 to critical acclaim, with many greatly raving on the use of a real-life case to show the reasons on why things happened the way they did. MKBO executives, upset about the hidden introduction, approved the concept to run for the full season and by December 2012, a 28-episode season two was ordered for production.

Real-life examples would be used on about half of the episodes as MKBO executives were still weary over the concept, and after a successful October 2013 run, would become the dominant format for the TV show, with some fictional stories "shall there be no other like it in history" or "as the director sees fit", giving her full creative control over the show. There were times where the show was almost canned due to being a legal liability, one of the famous cases of such being when S5EP11 aired, titled "Fool's Gold: The Beyer Betrayal", in 2016 based on the investigation of former CEO Ralph Beyer of Vollent Communications that had wrapped a year earlier. Ralph filed a defamation & libel suit against MKBO and the show's producer personally, seeking damages of SLO$2.5M plus SLO$0.01 for every person who watched it, along with an injunction to not air the episode again.

The first case of its kind, lawyers for MKBO were unsure if they could win the case against them and worried about "potential legal liability" for future episodes that may be produced. Prior to the ruling being released by the court, MKBO executives suspended all future production of the show and the airing of any season 5 episode not aired prior; pending a resolution to the case. Sharon at the time told the Makko Okoan Republic: "This is standard fighting against guaranteed rights. The episode in dispute was directed without any bias, ill or malicious intent. All episodes of this form are based on fact and fact alone from police reports, corroborated stories and public court transcripts." The court ruled in MKBO's favor in early 2017, citing "freedom of speech and expression are paramount to our culture". MKBO, however, chose to cancel the show altogether not seeing a benefit against the risk of lawsuits.

The show now dead, Sharon decided to go back to DTV, who was the only network close to saying "yes" just years prior. Before a contract could be signed to produce season 6 with DTV, a petition that accrued 6.2 million signatures to bring the show back was successful in convincing MKBO executives who aired the remainder of season 5 thereafter and then ordered a 24-episode season 6. When season 6 aired in late 2017, Justice & Judgement was named the Show Of the Year by Decomposing Oranges, with a rating of 89%, and MKBO later stated that Justice & Judgement had the "highest and most consistent viewership numbers of any MKBO programme", making it the #1 MKBO show in production. Sharon later got promoted to the position of VP of Programming from being an Executive Producer and Director of multiple MKBO titles.

Plot

Justice & Judgement episodes are structured into two parts: the initial focus involves the crime being committed and then police investigations, followed by legal and courtroom proceedings. The show emphasizes case involvement over character backstories.

Police Segment (Justice Segment)

The show often opens with the committing and discovery of a crime, predominantly homicides, engaging different departments of the local Jorian Civil Control Service. Detectives handle various cases of many kinds from homicide to low-level fraud.

Investigations entail meticulous crime scene analysis, witness interviews, and the utilization of forensic tools and technology, aiding in evidence processing and suspect identification.

Legal Proceedings (Judgement Segment)

The legal aspect is depicted from the perspective of prosecutors from the Ministry of Justice's Office of Prosecutions. The focus lies on establishing the defendant's guilt rather than exploring innocence.

Pre-trial activities involve discussions with defense attorneys, evidence presentations, and attempts to negotiate plea bargains. Courtroom proceedings feature motions, hearings, etc.

Episodes often explore diverse defense strategies and ethical debates surrounding various issues.

Verdict outcomes evoke reactions from involved parties. Episode conclusions may reflect on case aspects or depict negotiation processes.