When a soap opera character has a court date in Genoa City, where "The Young and the Restless" takes place, they can be arrested for murder on a Monday and go on trial Tuesday. Take Adam, for instance. He was literally cuffed one day and that night he was picking out his suit for his next-day appearance at the murder trial. If you are a real person waiting to go to court it can take years. Just ask Victoria Rowell (ex-Dru, "The Young and the Restless"), who first sued CBS and Sony claiming discrimination.

For years, Rowell claimed the show lacked diversity, even though for over three decades a black family has been a major part of the Genoa City universe. Rowell was upset because she felt there was no black presence on the writing or production staff. On that, she is correct. On two occasions the actress quit "Y&R." The second time she walked off, the show decided that her character was no longer needed. For years she tried to get rehired. When she was told no, she decided to go to court.

In her initial suit she tried to sue CBS, which airs "Y&R," and Sony, which produces it, because they would not bring back her character. She also claimed that she was not asked to audition for characters on "Y&R" because of her negative statements on the show. She claimed that Michelle Stafford (ex-Phyllis) spat on her during a scene. Stafford said it was not intentional, but just something that happened during the heat of an acting moment. Rowell also claimed that Melody Thomas Scott (Nikki) put on an African-American wig and made degrading comments. Scott has denied that.

A court decided her original suit could not go forward. It was determined that a show could not be forced to bring back a character.

Last week, Rowell went back to court. Her legal counsel claimed that she was banned from auditioning for a role at "Days of Our Lives," which Sony also owns. This time a federal court judge said the case could proceed and is set for an October court date. CBS is no longer part of the suit.

We spoke with a few agents who think the case will be hard for Rowell to win. One says that agents hear from casting directors all the time: "We do not want to see (that actor or actress)." It can be because they think they are not the right age or look or have proven difficult to work with. Another said, "I have a client that can be very hard to work with as a cast member and a client. They happen to be talented and popular with the viewers. As a favor to me one casting director will look at her, but there is no way they will ever book that job."

Casting is not paint by numbers. Actors will tell you of times when they landed parts after horrible auditions. And sometimes they won't get parts when they thought their auditions were killer. Auditioning is not like taking a civil servant test. It will be interesting to see what the court decides in Rowell's case. It is good that it is being heard. Of course, no matter what the decision, you can bet the losing side will continue the fight.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.