I am in a funk. Two weeks in a trial and now I need to decompress, so I am back to reading a book I bought by John Maxwell on communication. Actually it is not about communication – it is about connecting. As lawyers we need to connect with jurors; with clients, and with our family members. That connection
If you have ever been to a trial and watched the drama unfold, you likely know that it all comes apart like an old thatch roof in a windstorm when the jurors hear, then see, and try to interpret the jury instructions. It is true. Jury instructions confuse jurors, they seldom instruct them on anything.
After a trial a few
Continue Reading Jury Instructions Do Not Instruct – They Confuse
If you have been watching the news out of Portland, you know that a jury awarded the victim $1.4 million in a sex abuse case brought against the Boy Scouts of America for their failure to protect scouts from sex abuse at the hands of one of its Scout leaders. At trial the plaintiff argued that the Scouts had been
Thirteen months have passed since Ahmed Cepalo was killed outside Backstreet Billiards. Jeremy Hobbs was charged with murder and we commenced the trial of that case on April 12. It ended today with a hung jury. Mistrial. Do – over.
Jeremy remains in jail awaiting a conclusion to this case. I won’t discuss it here as I continue to represent
As is my custom – I will be taking a little break from this while in trial. Back in a few weeks.Continue Reading Time Out – for trial
My great and patient assistant Patty had to take a little heat yesterday from a couple callers who wanted to talk to me about their cases. "Sorry but he can’t take your call today." It was the absolute truth.
I know there is stuff going on out there in the world of criminal defense, but man – I am in
I am currently captivated by The Pacific, an HBO mini-series airing on Sunday nights. Even on Easter Sunday I am watching as the men of the 1st Marine Division are moving through the jungle on New Britain. The jungle is everyone’s enemy. I cannot remember enough about the history of America’s time in that part of the world and I