The Real Reason Jack McCoy Wins So Many Cases In Law & Order

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https://www.thelist.com/789237/the-r...-in-law-order/

McCoy wins so many cases on the show out of sheer earnestness

In 2012, Overthinking It analyzed the results of hundreds of court cases that played out over the course of 20 years on "Law & Order." According to the research conducted by Overthinking It, at least 80% of the episodes end in wins, whether that is through a guilty verdict, plea bargain, or victories of other kinds. As you might imagine, this percentage is far better than real-life court cases.

Many of these cases involved District Attorney Jack McCoy, portrayed by Sam Waterston, who possessed such earnestness and dogged nature that pursuing moral justice was always the first thing on his mind. In fact, this was so much the case throughout his time on the show that he would often bend the law to ensure that justice was served. In an article published in the ABA Journal, Waterston spoke about the reasons behind his character's many wins on "Law & Order." "McCoy as the assistant district attorney was the man who confronted the villains in court, the man who got the criminals to 'face the music,' who ultimately put the bad guys on the spot, where they couldn't lie their way out, and told us in his summations how to think about it," Waterston said in the article. "The action required of him each week neatly fit his nature: eager to confront, eager to win, usually insensitive about other opinions, until his nose is rubbed in them."