American Apologies

Blurring the line between mindless entertainment and the reality of crime and justice makes up much of the work of “legal commentator” Nancy Grace. As a former prosecutor, she had often been considered ethically questionable and was known to be inappropriate in her conduct of various cases. After working for Court TV, she later got her own show on HLN that she uses to broadcast her aggressive and often antagonistic interview style. One of her lows was in 2006, involving an incident when a 21-year-old woman, Melinda Duckett, committed suicide following an interview conducted by Grace concerning the disappearance of Duckett’s 2-year-old son. Grace had pushed her aggressively and badgered her during the interview, despite Duckett not being charged with any crime. Grace later said, “I do not feel that our show is to blame for what happened to Melinda Duckett. The truth is not always nice or polite or easy to go down. Sometimes it’s harsh, and it hurts.” Well, the truth about Nancy Grace is that her knowledge of the law is limited, and her show seeks only to sensationalize the justice system to fit her narrow perspective. Her stubborn demeanor also prevents her from admitting wrong, such as with her pro-prosecution stance in the 2006 Duke University lacrosse case, and her false theories regarding Elizabeth Smart’s disappearance. Unfortunately, Grace doesn’t get that Law & Order: SVU is just a television show and that real law requires responsibility and ethics. Funnily enough, she appeared on the show as herself in 2007. It seems the lines just keep on blurring.