Ed. Note: The following content was provided by Wade Skalsky, who is a client of KHTS AM-1220.

Santa Clarita defense attorney Wade Skalsky talked about what’s real and not real in courtroom movie scenes on the debut of the new KHTS AM-1220 show, “Wade Beyond the Courtroom.”

Using the 1992 comedy “My Cousin Vinny” as an example, Skalsky focused his attention on the actions of zany lawyer Vinny Gambini, played by Joe Pesci, in a game he called “Real, Not Real.”

Defense attorney Wade Skalsky

Throughout the movie, Gambini arrives in court wearing anything but the traditional suit and tie real-life lawyers are usually seen in, prompting Skalsky’s first verdict: not real.

“Most lawyers actually get this right– you have to wear a suit,” Skalsky said. “Where people get it wrong is effectively people in the audience, so normal people or the public who come into court. I’ve seen shirts that say a curse word.”

Individuals who do choose to wear clothing with expletives or obscenities on them to court are at risk of being held in contempt of court by the judge, which can can lead to a fine or jail time.

Gambini finds himself in contempt of court in “My Cousin Vinny” for cursing in the courtroom, which Skalsky said does really happen.

“I can tell you from personal experience, when I was a young prosecutor I was embroiled in a very contentious case,” he said. “I was young; I was 25-years-old. I got hot under the collar and the (other) attorney and I started talking back and forth to each other, which you’re not supposed to do– you’re only supposed to talk to the judge. I might have gotten a little excitable and I might have uttered something that is not allowed to be uttered.”

Everything said during a trial or courtroom appearance is either recorded or taken down by a court reporter, so Skalsky said his mistake will be “forever emblazoned in history” in that transcript.

“You want to have a lawyer that’s experienced, because I’ve been practicing (law) for almost 17 years, and in that time I’ve made some mistakes, and the great thing is now my clients get the benefits of me having made all those mistakes in the past so I don’t make them with clients in cases now.”

Perhaps the most questionable courtroom decision Gambini makes in the movie is his decision to take on a murder case despite the fact that he is a personal injury attorney with no trial experience.

Related: Santa Clarita Resident Discusses Work As Defense Attorney

According to Skalsky, this could be real but usually doesn’t happen.

“Strangely enough actually you can represent someone in a murder case in California with no prior trial experience,” he said. “The judge would probably have to question you to make sure you kind of knew what you were doing.”

Normally attorneys start on lower level cases like misdemeanors or traffic tickets so mistakes are more easily forgiven, Skalsky added before giving another personal example.

“Again, I was a young prosecutor and just finding my way,” he said. “I ‘collaterally commented,’ which means that I sort of made an innuendo about the defendants right to remain silent.”

Skalsky described this as a “giant mistake” that went against one of the cornerstones of the American justice system: the right to remain silent.

“I believe that we all make mistakes; we’re all human beings, and the good thing about mistakes is that we learn from them,” he added. “So you can bet that in the last 17 years from that mistake I have never come close to saying anything even remotely like that because I remember exactly what it felt like.”

For more “Wade Beyond the Courtroom,” tune into KHTS AM-1220 Sunday mornings from 10 to 10:30 a.m. or view a full list of the show’s podcasts here.

Law Offices of Wade J. Skalsky

450 N. Brand Blvd, Suite 600

Glendale, CA 91203

Toll-free: 800-836-1120

Phone: 855-873-9233