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Focus Jury’s Attention on Core Message | Houston Criminal Law

Dan Cogdell | 878 Views | 09/02/2015

Be Direct With the Jury

Don? Are you the same Don Hill who is charged with murder in this case? Yes sir, Mr. Cogdell, I am. Did you kill that man, Don? Yes sir, I did. Why did you kill him, Don? Mr. Cogdell, it was either me or him. Pass the witness. Now, I did that in a murder case several years ago, because I wanted the jury to focus on one thing and one thing only. Lawyers spend too much time gilding the lily and explaining the various options, and permutations, and combinations, and possibilities. Juries want to hear a central core message. They want to understand it without a bunch of legal gobbledygook poured all over it. And when I had him testify to a four or five question direct and then had him pass– pass him for a witness, it did two things. Number one: it cemented with the jury what our defense of theory was. And number two: it caught that prosecutor completely flat side and by surprise.

He was planning on a half a day preparation time. He gets up to speed to cross-examine our witness or our defendant in that case, and he didn’t get it. So, here is the message: once again, less is more. Be direct, be yourself, and have a lawyer that can be likewise in front of a jury. If you’ve got questions or comments and you’re charged with a criminal case, call us, we’re here to help you if we can. My name is Dan Cogdell. I’m a lawyer here in Houston, and I look forward to hearing from you.

By: Dan Cogdell

Focus Jury’s Attention on Core Message | Houston Criminal Law

Be Direct With the Jury

Don? Are you the same Don Hill who is charged with murder in this case? Yes sir, Mr. Cogdell, I am. Did you kill that man, Don? Yes sir, I did. Why did you kill him, Don? Mr. Cogdell, it was either me or him. Pass the witness. Now, I did that in a murder case several years ago, because I wanted the jury to focus on one thing and one thing only. Lawyers spend too much time gilding the lily and explaining the various options, and permutations, and combinations, and possibilities. Juries want to hear a central core message. They want to understand it without a bunch of legal gobbledygook poured all over it. And when I had him testify to a four or five question direct and then had him pass– pass him for a witness, it did two things. Number one: it cemented with the jury what our defense of theory was. And number two: it caught that prosecutor completely flat side and by surprise.

He was planning on a half a day preparation time. He gets up to speed to cross-examine our witness or our defendant in that case, and he didn’t get it. So, here is the message: once again, less is more. Be direct, be yourself, and have a lawyer that can be likewise in front of a jury. If you’ve got questions or comments and you’re charged with a criminal case, call us, we’re here to help you if we can. My name is Dan Cogdell. I’m a lawyer here in Houston, and I look forward to hearing from you.

By: Dan Cogdell