During the lock down, for a lack of anything better to do, I read one of Erle Stanley Gardner’s “Perry Mason” novellas.
It differed from many of the television programs and made for television movies (I will skip the recent HBO miniseries which was completely reimagined with radical changes to the original source materials). Perry Mason was willing to engage in unethical conduct in order to defend his clients. He would tamper with evidence and plant evidence to mislead the police on occasions.
The “Cancel Culture” might condemn these books which were, of course, part of a series published in the 1930s and later.
Intriguing post, thanks for sharing some interesting food for thought.
Having not read the Erle Stanley Gardner novellas, it would to substantially deviate from the classic long-running television series that basically depicted Perry Mason as above reproach for the most part.