Their roles in movies and in TV can be as despicable as anyone given the nature of the job, but the DA an ADA position is one of importance and tends to fall to those that can make the most impassioned arguments in the name of the law. One of the biggest differences between a DA and an attorney is that a DA is elected to their position and can hire other attorneys as needed. This means they are the top dog in their district and as such are usually under the most heavy scrutiny in any case they happen to take. This is also why they are that good, since they have more than one thing to fight for.
Her are just a few of the best examples of a DA or an ADA by actors that have nailed the role.
5. Danny Buck Davidson – Bernie
Most people aren’t accustomed to seeing Matthew McConaughey as anything but smooth and suave in his tailored suits and classic good looks. But as the DA in Bernie he is no-nonsense and all passion as he fires after Jack Black’s character without mercy. Even in this film his smooth-talking ways seem to come out just enough to make the role a little more convincing and a lot more entertaining.
4. Michael Clayton – Michael Clayton
George Clooney just looks the type that could stand up in court and smooth over a jury or rip the defendant a new one if he felt like it. In this film he plays a former DA that’s now more of a troubleshooter for those that employ him. Having been at the top spot though it’s obvious that he knows his way around and knows how to get things done. The only issue he really seems to have is finding a way past the current debacle he finds himself with a client that’s a manic depressive.
3. Janet Venable – Primal Fear
Sometimes DA’s and ADA’s are able to break a defendant down without much of a problem. Other times they bite off more than they can chew. In all fairness Janet didn’t really know what, or who, she was dealing with when she started her line of questioning. Had she known Roy was about to come out then it’s easy to assume she might have changed her tactics.
2. Harvey Dent – The Dark Night
Gotham’s “White Knight”. He was an upstanding citizen to all who knew him and wouldn’t dare cross the line between law and lawlessness until everything he cared about was taken. As a DA he was unimpeachable in his manner and had no fear of going after those that fell on the wrong side of the law. Afterwards, he was even more dangerous because he so readily crossed that line.
1. Nick Rice – Law Abiding Citizen
There are times when the justice system just doesn’t seem to work the way it should. What would you do if you couldn’t put a known murderer behind bars because that’s not how the system worked? What would you expect if the man that lost his family thought you were in collusion with their killer? Rice cared more about the law than the right thing and it nearly lost him everyone he cared about. Sometimes the law just isn’t enough, even though it should be.
A DA’s position can’t be easy considering that they have to follow the law to the letter and never really deviate. It might be the top spot, but it’s also an open target for those that don’t believe the law works as it should.
