First Monday
| First Monday | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Created by |
Donald P. Bellisario Paul Levine |
| Starring |
Joe Mantegna James Garner Charles Durning Hedy Burress Randy Vasquez Christopher Wiehl Joe Flanigan |
| Theme music composer | Bruce Broughton |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 60 minutes |
| Production company(s) |
Belisarius Productions Paramount Television |
| Release | |
| Original network | CBS |
| Original release | January 15 – May 3, 2002 |
First Monday is an American television midseason replacement drama centered on the U.S. Supreme Court. Like another 2002 series, The Court, it was inspired by the prominent role the Supreme Court played in settling the 2000 presidential election. However, public interest in the high court had receded by the time the two shows premiered, and neither was successful.
Created by JAG creator Donald P. Bellisario and Paul Levine, the show aired on CBS from January until May 2002. The name First Monday is a reference to the first Monday in October, which is when each Supreme Court term begins.
Joe Mantegna starred as moderate Justice Joseph Novelli, who is appointed to a Supreme Court evenly divided between conservatives and liberals. The show examined how the law clerks and justices dealt with issues and cases that came before the highest court in the United States.
First Monday generally dealt with two issues per episode. Earlier in the series, that tended to be two cases. Later in the series, that tended to be one case and one personal issue.
Case 1: A Florida death row inmate is struck by lightning, diminishing his mental capacity. The justices must determine whether executing him violates the Eighth Amendment's prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. The justices refuse to grant certiorari.
Case 1: A pregnant teenager gains permission from a court to obtain an abortion. Her parents oppose the abortion and appeal to the Supreme Court to overturn the decision. The justices rule in favor of the girl and the lower court.
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Wikipedia