: Viewers saw the defense and prosecution test their arguments before focus groups.
Unlike its sister shows, Trial by Jury often began with a witness or victim's account rather than the discovery of a crime. It pulled back the curtain on legal processes rarely seen on television: Law & Order: Trial by Jury
Despite a strong start with over 14 million viewers, the show was cancelled after 13 episodes. Several factors led to its "guilty" verdict: : Viewers saw the defense and prosecution test
: Judges were developed as recurring characters, often seen conferring with one another behind the scenes. A Bittersweet Farewell to a Legend Several factors led to its "guilty" verdict: :
The series is perhaps most significant for being the final role of . After 12 seasons on the original Law & Order , Orbach moved his iconic character, Lennie Briscoe , to Trial by Jury as a DA investigator. Sadly, Orbach was battling prostate cancer and was only able to complete the first two episodes before his death in late 2004. In his final scene, his illness was so advanced he could only whisper, so writers moved the scene outside a courtroom to justify the low volume. Why Was It Cancelled?
The Short-Lived Legacy: A Retrospective on Law & Order: Trial by Jury