Courtroom Dramas

Anatomy of a Murder
A Few Good Men
Trial
The Rack
They Won't Forget

Boomerang!
Young Mr. Lincoln
The Caine Mutiny
Knock on Any Door
The Story on Page One

"Hang 'em High"

There is one unrealistic but common camera shot that my father, who worked in the courts, always complained about. It seems that most directors want counsel/prosecutor in the same shot as the witness being interrogated, so they instruct the actors playing attorneys to just walk right up to the witness box and start asking questions. That doesn't happen actually, the judge would never allow it. A realistic scene would show the lawyers standing behind their attorney's table when questioning witnesses.

Not a classic but my favorite courtroom drama ever- The verdict

Paul Newman gives what I consider is his best performance as a ruined man trying to climb out of the bottle far enough to win justice for a man who lost his wife to a medical and legal scam. James Mason is wonderfully smarmy as his opponent but Newman owns the screen here, and without benefit of his astonishing beauty.

Inept Defense Counselor to witness: "You have testified that you saw my client shoot the victim. Yet, this almanac I hold in my hand proves that there was no full moon on the night of the murder. How do you explain that?"

Witness: "I was in the room and the lights were on."

Defense Counselor: "No more questions."

Some enjoyable if light weight entries -

Liar Liar
My Cousin Vinny

Also

Primal Fear
Suspect
Twilight of Honor

My favourite... Tsuma wa kokuhaku suru , A Wife Confesses (1961)
This absorbing drama opens on the front steps of a courthouse with various members of the media awaiting the arrival of   Ayako Takigawa (Ayako Wakao), she is on trial accused of murdering her husband. 

Her husband Ryôkichi a keen mountaineer had taken her and his assistant Kouda  on a dangerous mountain climb. After a mishap during the climb. Ryôkichi is left dangling at the end of the rope.  Ayako is perilously caught in the middle, to save her own life there is no choice but to cut the cord which sends him plummeting to his death. 

Of this there is no doubt… the courtroom begins to question ... did Ayako cut the rope to get rid of her husband or because this was actually her only way of surviving the situation?  Is the young man who was with them at the time really her lover?, or was there a cold-hearted desire to kill her husband?

Director  Yasuzo Musamura's outstanding film raises an intriguing legal situation, and not one you often see in courtroom dramas. .How can you prove motivation for an action ?  

As the tense courtroom drama unfolds  flashback scenes provide  background to events of the past ,  in the court a masterful use of camera the angles and depth of field, heightens the dramatic tone portraying an anxious, claustrophobic atmosphere.

A Wife Confesses is a fascinating psychological courtroom drama, Japanese film noir, a Musamura melodramatic masterpiece, with a compelling multi-layered story which features a profound knockout twist to the tale .  

Highly Recommended...
                 
                                       

 Dual Alibi (1947) Directed written by Albert Travers
As the title suggests this excellent British film present as interesting courtroom scenario. Herbert Lom stars as identical twin trapeze artists Jules de Lisle and Georges de Lisle  . The brothers close relationship is torn apart by a scheming woman who comes between them . Jules and Georges  find themselves in court after the body of an acquaintance is found there was a witness, but who can tell Jules from Georges...   
Highly Recommended.