monique
Live ~ Love ~ Laugh
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I've been thinking about all the mistakes the DT made over the past few weeks. Can't remember them all so please add on.
Here are just a few that stand out to me:
- NEVER start with a far-fetched Opening Statement that you will never be able to back up with witnesses and evidence. Particularly if your client is a pathological liar who will never be able to testify. Always remember the KISS principle.
- NEVER ignore the rulings of the Judge...it just pisses him off.
- NEVER open the door to testimony from police officer's about your client's prior bad acts.
- NEVER solicit testimony you know to be untrue when it will be easily proven untrue with today's computer technology.
- If the SA has an expert witness whose testimony is beyond impeachment (ie Dr Vass), NEVER bring on less prestigious experts to try and prove him wrong. Probably best to just ignore that testimony and hope the jury forgets it.
- NEVER bring in a whack-job, grief counselor as an "expert witness" when she doesn't even know what peer review is.
- NEVER make accusations of molestation against the brother of the defendant...then fail completely to even bring it up during your examination of him on the stand.
- NEVER prove to the jury that your client used to bury her pets in the same manner that she disposed of her victim.
- NEVER open the door to the entry of a suicide note that proves the innocence of the person you are trying to vilify in place of your client.
and finally.....
- NEVER, NEVER, NEVER assume that the Prosecution will be as inept as you are.
Here are just a few that stand out to me:
- NEVER start with a far-fetched Opening Statement that you will never be able to back up with witnesses and evidence. Particularly if your client is a pathological liar who will never be able to testify. Always remember the KISS principle.
- NEVER ignore the rulings of the Judge...it just pisses him off.
- NEVER open the door to testimony from police officer's about your client's prior bad acts.
- NEVER solicit testimony you know to be untrue when it will be easily proven untrue with today's computer technology.
- If the SA has an expert witness whose testimony is beyond impeachment (ie Dr Vass), NEVER bring on less prestigious experts to try and prove him wrong. Probably best to just ignore that testimony and hope the jury forgets it.
- NEVER bring in a whack-job, grief counselor as an "expert witness" when she doesn't even know what peer review is.
- NEVER make accusations of molestation against the brother of the defendant...then fail completely to even bring it up during your examination of him on the stand.
- NEVER prove to the jury that your client used to bury her pets in the same manner that she disposed of her victim.
- NEVER open the door to the entry of a suicide note that proves the innocence of the person you are trying to vilify in place of your client.
and finally.....
- NEVER, NEVER, NEVER assume that the Prosecution will be as inept as you are.