Top magician’s secrets are revealed in US courtroom
The tricks behind a disappearing act that magician David Copperfield performed for years in Las Vegas were revealed in court.
It happened on the first day of trial in a civil case brought by a British tourist who claims he slipped, fell and was injured after he was randomly selected from the audience to participate in the show.
Lawyers for tourist Gavin Cox, Copperfield, the MGM Grand casino-resort, which hosts the show, and others on Friday detailed the route that randomly selected audience members follow during the trick.
Copperfield supposedly makes them disappear from a platform on stage and gets them to reappear in the back of the theatre.
Cox was injured along the route in a 2013 show.
Lawyer Benedict Morelli, who represents Cox and his wife, told the jury during opening statements that the illusion known as the Thirteen was “an accident waiting to happen” and “obviously dangerous”.
He added that his client was never warned about a possible injury if he participated in the illusion.
“Quite the contrary, he and possibly all of the other participants had an expectation of safety,” Morelli said. “So, Mr. Cox (said) ‘OK. I guess I’m going to be OK. Why would David Copperfield, who is so famous, select me and not protect me?’”
Cox filed the lawsuit in 2014 months after he was randomly selected to participate in the final trick of Copperfield’s show in November 2013.