Did Perry Mason Ever Lose a Case? The Truth Behind His Courtroom Defeats

A fan once asked Raymond Burr why his iconic TV character, defense attorney Perry Mason, never lost a case on the series of the same name. “But madam,” Burr reportedly answered, “you only see the cases I try on Saturdays.” The response may have been tongue in cheek (the show aired Saturday nights on CBS), but there was a tiny grain of truth to it. In Perry Mason’s nine seasons, which ran from 1957-1966, Mason did indeed lose three cases. Or one, depending on how you look it.

Let’s make a case for both [spoilers ahead].