Courthouse, New York | MCU Location Scout

Matt and Foggy by the steps outside the courthouse.

We only have an hour to prepare for court.

Most of these scenes at the courthouse are all from the Director’s Cut of the film. These involve the trial of Dante Jackson (Coolio) for the murder of Lisa Tazio. There is a brief scene in the opening of the film where Matt interrogates José Quesada (named after Marvel artist Joe Quesada), followed by Matt and Foggy leaving the building. Later scenes of Jackson’s trial take place in a more traditional wood paneled courtroom. The film is very confused about the establishing shots, since none of the stock footage used actually shows a courthouse.

Quesada Trial

This first trial scene appears in both versions of the film. It was filmed at the Los Angeles City Hall (with the interiors being presumed to have been filmed there as well). Foggy and Matt exit the building afterwards, upset that Quesada was not convicted.

  • Matt in a small civic courtroom.
  • Matt and Foggy in a small civic courtroom.
  • Matt and Foggy outside the courthouse.
  • Matt and Foggy outside the courthouse.
  • Matt and Foggy outside the courthouse.

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Jackson’s Attorneys

Foggy brings Matt to meet Dante Jackson at some government building where he is being held. The interior hallway is again part of Los Angeles City Hall (and the prisoner room is assumed to be there also). The establishing shot is a piece of stock footage of the Congregation Shearith Israel, on W 70th Street in New York. Sure, it looks a little like a courthouse, I guess.

  • Aerial view of New York City courthouse.
  • Foggy and Matt in a courthouse hallway.
  • Foggy and Matt in a courthouse hallway.
  • Foggy and Matt in a courthouse visitor room with Dante Jackson.

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Jackson Trial

For Dante’s actual trial, two different pieces of stock footage show a civic-type building. In this case, it’s the New York City Hall, located off Center Street. It’s possible in the first shot that the Tweed Courthouse behind City Hall is the subject, but the second shot, used later in the film, is much more adamant that City Hall is the place.

The interiors of the courtroom look quite realistic, but behind-the-scenes footage from the documentary included with the Director’s Cut shows that this is a soundstage. The final shot of Dante congratulating Matt and Foggy occurs, one again, outside the Los Angeles City Hall.

  • Aerial view of New York City courthouse and City Hall.
  • Matt speaking to the jury in the courtroom.
  • Foggy and Dante Jackson in a courtroom.
  • Foggy helps Matt back to his seat in a courtroom.
  • Aerial view of New York City courthouse.
  • Foggy questioning Dante Jackson in a courtroom.
  • The judge in a courtroom.
  • Foggy flipping through papers in a courtroom.
  • Foggy and Matt shake hands with Dante Jackson outside the courthouse.

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(Daredevil, 2003)