Editing Lionel Hutz (section)

==Creation and retirement==
[[Phil Hartman]] was first suggested for the role of Lionel Hutz by Simpsons writer [[Jay Kogen]], who liked Hartman's "great, strong voice." Writer [[Mike Scully]] described Hutz as a "combination of overconfidence and incompetence. He never doubted his ability in the courtroom for some reason, even though he had no idea what was going on."<ref>{{cite book |last=Thomas |first=Mike |date=2014 |title=You Might Remember Me: The Life and Times of Phil Hartman |location=New York |publisher=St. Martin's Press |pages=158–161 |isbn=9781250027962}}</ref>

After Hartman's death in 1998,<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/SHOWBIZ/TV/9805/28/hartman/|title=Phil Hartman, wife die in apparent murder-suicide|access-date=June 8, 2007|date=May 28, 1998|publisher=[[CNN]]}}</ref> Hutz was going to be recast with [[Harry Shearer]], but the character was retired along with [[Troy McClure]], Hartman's other recurring character.<ref name=inter>{{cite interview|last=Groening|first=Matt|subject-link = Matt Groening| interviewer = [[Terry Gross]]| title = Fresh Air| publisher = [[NPR]]| work = [[WHYY-FM]]| url = https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4249835| location = Philadelphia| date = December 29, 2004| access-date = April 9, 2008}}</ref> The last episode to feature Hutz speaking was the [[The Simpsons (season 9)|season 9 episode]] "[[Realty Bites]]".