It seems the well of defendants making a run for it is nowhere near dry, as Court Cam returns with its second countdown of courtroom escapes. Airing Wednesday on A&E, “Top Five: Escapes 2” is a half-hour distillation of pure desperation, a clip show dedicated entirely to ill-conceived bids for freedom captured by the unblinking eye of courtroom cameras. Hosted by Dan Abrams, the episode requires little setup and gets straight to the action.
The program functions as a lean, efficient delivery system for shocking footage. Among the clips presented is a man who, upon hearing his fate, decides to bolt from the hearing and test his sprinting ability against that of courthouse deputies. Another segment speaks to our modern era of justice, featuring a defendant who, after being sentenced to jail time during a virtual hearing, simply flees the location he was streaming from.
There is no deep analysis here, nor is any needed. The appeal of Court Cam, and especially these themed countdowns, is its simplicity. It’s a showcase of people making terrible decisions under extreme pressure, with firsthand accounts from judges and witnesses filling in the gaps. The show understands its core function: to present jaw-dropping moments of chaos from inside the supposedly staid halls of justice.
Court Cam airs Wednesday, June 18 at 9:30 PM ET on A&E.
