Well it’s been a while, but it took humor to break me out of the blog doldrums I was in. Â Cheers to humor, we don’t get enough of that in this business. Â Don’t get me wrong, criminal lawyers do have a sense of humor. Â But it’s most often kept in the professional circles, much as I imagine paramedics, firefighters, or morticians joke amongst themselves. Â In professions where things often don’t end pleasantly, finding the lighter side of things can make it easier to keep plugging along. Â What else you gonna do?
So, jury trials and jurors brains… what in the world can go through their minds during such a serious event? Â Most jurors have never sat through a trial, much less a long complicated one, and it’s often their first time seeing a criminal courtroom. Â The judge and lawyers do their best to captivate them, feeding them Powerpoint and in-car police videos, but they’re certainly not taking in everything that comes out of our mouths. Â We know that’s true because Texas allows us to speak to jurors after the trial is over. Â But one thing is for sure… they may not follow the paths we try to provide them, but they do notice a lot of things that we never intend.
As a result, we remind clients (defendants) that they are being watched by the jury, like a bride at a wedding. Â I tell them it’s like the hot girl at the bar, nobody’s looking directly at her, but everybody is watching. Â No eye rolling, no noserings, etc., and it goes for the lawyers too. Â I know lawyers with sleeve tattoos, but they cover them with long sleeves in front of the jury. Â Keep them on point, don’t invite them to be distracted. Â So when I came across this article in Austin’s “the Onion” paper, I couldn’t help but chuckle because it’s real to me, even though it’s a parody. Â Who knows, maybe it’s only funny to lawyers, but it got me writing again. Â Who wants to read serious stuff all the time anyway? Â Good to be back, enjoy the quick read.
Partially Faded Hand Stamp Undermining Everything Prosecutor Says
