A real doctor and a lawyer have teamed up to assess the medical and legal accuracy of Law & Order. A groundbreaking show that first premiered in 1990, it was both a police procedural and a law show. Half of each episode is dedicated to investigating a crime, while the other is about proving the defendant's guilt in court. Law & Order has been such a success that it spawned over half a dozen spin-offs and is still ongoing today, over 30 years later.
As influential as it has been, that doesn't necessarily mean that the show is completely accurate. Ahead of Law & Order season 23, YouTubers Doctor Mike and LegalEagle teamed up to analyze just how many errors there are in the first episode of season 1. Check out their videos below:
Doctor Mike's video introduces the concept behind the paired videos, while LegalEagle's channel hosts the second video. It is a natural reflection of the format of Law & Order, as the medical aspects come before the legal half of each episode. Together, the pair criticizes the CPR techniques, the medications used, and the ethics of both sides of the show.
The Flaws In Law & Order Episode 1
The first major critique that LegalEagle and Doctor Mike offer is the CPR techniques that the characters employ. When a character appears to lack a pulse, the medical personnel call for a line. Doctor Mike calls it a flawed technique, given that the proper treatment is immediate chest compression. When they eventually do start chest compression, the rhythm and pressure are also wrong, earning a rebuke from both LegalEagle and Doctor Mike. The pressure is weak, and the rhythm is not to the tune of "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees or Taylor Swift's "Clean".
The medication prescribed was also a major source of critique. While one issue at hand is the presence of a drunken doctor, Doctor Mike also points out that he gives incorrect care. The patient received opioids for body aches while sick, which Doctor Mike immediately criticizes. They also have a long discussion about the ethical responsibilities of doctors and lawyers, especially if the doctor is drunk while seeing patients. LegalEagle eventually describes it as criminal recklessness.
As much as the Law & Order cast prides itself on legal accuracy, LegalEagle also found major issues with the cross-examination process. The judge allows the lawyer to break for lunch before cross-examination, which gives an entire hour for the lawyer to prepare. It is entirely unfair to the witness, and it creates a serious procedural issue. Despite the flaws, they do eventually decide that the episode gets a B+. It's proof that even an inaccurate episode of Law & Order can still be entertaining for real-world doctors and lawyers.
