Sonia Sotomayor, Sen. Al Franken Forget What Trial Perry Mason Lost

Day 3 of questioning in the Sonia Sotomayor Supreme Court nominee hearings took a more-lighthearted turn when Sotomayor and Senator Al Franken could not remember the name of the episode in which the fictional and popular defense attorney Perry Mason (famously played by Raymond Burr) lost a case. Perry Mason lost just one case during the nine-season run of the CBS series of the same name. What was the name of the episode in question? "The Case of the Deadly Verdict," which originally aired October 17, 1963.

About the Case of the Deadly Verdict -- No Spoilers

Don't worry -- the amazing ending to this case will not be spoiled here. But it is important to know that Perry Mason did not lose this case due to his own fault. How did Perry Mason, who won every other case in the series, lose in "The Case of the Deadly Verdict"?

It turns out that Perry Mason's client, murder suspect Janice Barton (Vera Miles), lies about where she was when the killing occurred. Barton is found guilty and she is sentenced to death in a gas chamber. Perry Mason, however, believes someone else is responsible for the murder and eventually discovers the surprising results of who the killer really is....

About Perry Mason

Perry Mason first appeared in a series of novels and short stories written by Erle Stanley Gardner beginning in 1933. Also a radio show, Perry Mason jumped to the small screen in 1957 when the highly popular CBS TV series began. Perry Mason ran for nine seasons. Perhaps nearly as popular as the television series is the Perry Mason theme song, a highly recognizable piece called "Park Avenue Beat," written by composer Fred Steiner.

Along with Burr, cast members of the 1957-1966 version of Perry Mason included William Hopper as Perry Mason's private investigator, Paul Drake; Barbara Hale as Perry Mason's secretary, Della Street; William Talman as District Attorney Hamilton Burger; and Ray Collins as Lieutenant Tragg.

The New Adventures of Perry Mason aired from 1973 to 1974. Monte Markham played the role of Perry Mason, but the 1970s series did not fare well in the ratings and was soon canceled.

Raymond Burr and Barbara Hale took on their roles again when, starting in 1985, NBC aired Perry Mason TV movies. Though Raymond Burr died in 1993, the series, which subsequently was retitled A Perry Mason Mystery, starred Hal Holbrook and Paul Sorvino, who both played the roles of attorneys and Perry Mason's friends.