A lot of effort is involved in keeping our jurors insulated from any outside influences that could affect their opinion of the case. The Court gives them instructions that jurors cannot do any independent investigation, cannot look up or research the people involed on the internet, or do any research on legal concepts. Lawyers and…
When you are first learning how to be a trial lawyer you often get encouraged to try different techniques. It can be as simple as using a different method to introduce photos, or maybe using your body language and positioning to suggest important details as a witness testifies. Techniques also include your own tone as…
Sometimes a defendant will waive their Constitutional Right to a jury trial and agree to have the case decided by a Judge. This happens for a variety of reasons. Sometimes it is a complicated legal argument, or the case could involve some highly inflamatory facts and a defendant may be concerned about a jury's reaction.…
Jury Trial 5 went right back into the arena of DUI. At 12:56am the defendant ran a stop sign at the entrance kiosk to Loafer Creek campground in Oroville. A State Parks officer attempted to pull him over but defendant did not yield, instead he continued to drive outside of the campground and onto Hwy…
My fourth jury trial introduced me to the world of domestic violence. To say that as a prosecutor we never really know how a domestic violence case is going to pan out in front of a jury is an absolute understatement. These are the cases where prosecutors have to be prepared for absolutely every possibility.…
Remember when I told that DUI's are where new criminal prosecutors often cut their teeth on jury trials? Jury trial #3 involved a DUI where the defendant had been pulled over for speeding, he exhibited routine objective signs of intoxication, admitted to having 1 beer with dinner, and had marginal success on the field sobriety…
Driving under the influence is one of the most common jury trials to cut your teeth on as a new prosecutor. I got my chance my second trial in. The case essentially revolved around the discovery of an abandoned vehicle in the roadway which was had major damage to the driver's side of the vehicle,…
The year was 2012. I had been a lawyer for about 6 years in the civil sector with nary a jury trial to my name. You see, what they don't tell you in law school, that jury trials in the civil sector are expensive, which means working for a small boutique law firm in rural…
Going to the Snow How our day trip to Donner Memorial Park reminded us to stay resiliant. Miles, my 17 year old, pointed out to me that only in California do we say things such as, "going to the snow." The snow is not so much a place as it is a weather condition, but…
Night or day, transportation and food in Geneva did not disappoint. While it was easy, it was still COLD. After all, we were in Geneva in the winter! In preparing for my family's trip to Geneva, one of the things I repeatedly came across was how expensive the city was. And really, the cost of…
Hopelessly Devoted 