Law and the Movies: My Cousin Vinny
Law 199 – Law and the Movies
Final Paper- My Cousin Vinny My Cousin Vinny is a film about the trial of two young men accused of murder in rural Alabama where one of the accused men has his cousin Vinny, a new lawyer, try to defend them. The whole story begins when Billy Gambini and his friend Stan Rothestein are driving through Beechum County, Alabama and they decide to stop at a convenience store. Once they leave the store, Billy realizes he forgot to pay for a can of tuna, and he believes this is why the police had arrested him after the two men had left the store. In reality, after the two men left the store, the store clerk had been shot and killed. Billy and Stan where not pulled over and arrested by the police for stealing a can of tuna; they were arrested for the suspicion of being connected with the murder. While the boys are detained by the police a series of circumstantial evidence and eyewitness reports are used by the authorities to charge Billy with murder, and Stan with accessory to murder. With no other options, Billy is forced to call in his cousin Vinny, a lawyer, as his defense lawyer. Vinny and his fiancé, Mona Lisa Vito, travel down to Beechum County to help out their cousin Billy. However, Vinny is a new lawyer and has no trial experience at all. At first, Vinny does not do well in the case. He does not cross-examine the witness provided by the prosecuting lawyer and he does not bring any witnesses of his own to court. However, later on in the trial Vinny gains some strength as a lawyer. He begins cross-examining the witnesses and experts that Jim Trotter, the prosecuting lawyer, invites to the court. He is able to prove that one of the witnesses has poor eyesight, therefore her testimony is voided. He also proved that one of the witnesses could not possibly have seen the crime, due to the time it takes to prepare grits. Most importantly, he is able to prove that the boys are innocent by having his fiancé, Mona Lisa Vito, prove that
Final Paper- My Cousin Vinny My Cousin Vinny is a film about the trial of two young men accused of murder in rural Alabama where one of the accused men has his cousin Vinny, a new lawyer, try to defend them. The whole story begins when Billy Gambini and his friend Stan Rothestein are driving through Beechum County, Alabama and they decide to stop at a convenience store. Once they leave the store, Billy realizes he forgot to pay for a can of tuna, and he believes this is why the police had arrested him after the two men had left the store. In reality, after the two men left the store, the store clerk had been shot and killed. Billy and Stan where not pulled over and arrested by the police for stealing a can of tuna; they were arrested for the suspicion of being connected with the murder. While the boys are detained by the police a series of circumstantial evidence and eyewitness reports are used by the authorities to charge Billy with murder, and Stan with accessory to murder. With no other options, Billy is forced to call in his cousin Vinny, a lawyer, as his defense lawyer. Vinny and his fiancé, Mona Lisa Vito, travel down to Beechum County to help out their cousin Billy. However, Vinny is a new lawyer and has no trial experience at all. At first, Vinny does not do well in the case. He does not cross-examine the witness provided by the prosecuting lawyer and he does not bring any witnesses of his own to court. However, later on in the trial Vinny gains some strength as a lawyer. He begins cross-examining the witnesses and experts that Jim Trotter, the prosecuting lawyer, invites to the court. He is able to prove that one of the witnesses has poor eyesight, therefore her testimony is voided. He also proved that one of the witnesses could not possibly have seen the crime, due to the time it takes to prepare grits. Most importantly, he is able to prove that the boys are innocent by having his fiancé, Mona Lisa Vito, prove that