Awed by his aggressive defense tactics in the O. J. Simpson case, we researched Robert Shapiro's early career. It turns out that his first case was defending a man who had been ticketed for parking overtime. Here is his cross-examination of the officer who ticketed his client:

L Mr. Shapiro: Officer, how long have you been ticketing cars?

Officer: For ten years, sir.

S.: Now, the average meter cop has been ticketing for 15 years, is that right?

O.: I don't know, sir.

S.: You don't know? This has been your beat for 10 years, and you don't know the average time others have been on your own beat?

O: No, sir.

S.: Now, officer, the meter in question was registered "expired," correct?

O.: Correct, sir.

S.: Now, officer, did anyone else witness the "expired" signal on the meter?

O.: No, sir.

S.: So, without verification, without eyewitnesses, you just took it on your own authority that the meter said "expired," right?

O.: Yes, sir.

S.: Officer, when is the last time you had an eye exam?

O.: Five years ago.

S.; Five years ago? Doesn't the department require meter cops to have regular eye exams?

O.: No, sir.

S.: So, in theory, officer, you could have terrible vision -- be nearly blind -- and no one in your department would know.

O.: I guess not.

S.: Now, officer, the meter which you THINK read "expired" was located in FRONT of the defendant's car, correct?

O.: Correct, sir.

S.: Now, many meters are located BEHIND parking spaces, is that not correct?

O.: Yes, sir.

S.: Now, if that's true, officer, how do you know that THIS meter was the meter for the defendant's car?

O.: I could just see it, sir.

S.: But you've had no training in differentiating between meters located in FRONT of parking spaces and meters located BEHIND parking spaces, have you?

O.: Training in front and behind? No, sir.

S.: And in 1984, when you started, you once read the wrong meter, erroneously giving an undeserved ticket, didn't you?

O.: Well, yes, but . . .

S.: And, finally, officer, another policeman in your precinct has testified that you have stated that people should buy American cars, right?

O.: Well, yes, but . . .

S.: And the defendant's car is a Toyota, isn't it?

O.: Yes, but . . .

S.: And you once said, and I quote, "I would ticket foreign cars for nothing," didn't you?

O.: Well, I may have said that as a joke, but . . .

S.: Of course, you wouldn't ticket all cars for nothing, would you?

O.: No, but, it was just a kind of joking . . .

S.: So, you have no witness, your eyesight is untested and probably your vision is bad, you sought no corroborative testimony, you've erred on meter-readings in the past, and you are out to get foreign-car owners. How do you expect that 12 jurors would find it true beyond a reasonable doubt that defendant's car was overparked?

O.: I don't, sir.

Richard E. Vatz teaches rhetoric at Towson State University. Lee S. Weinberg teaches in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh.