Trial

• Pages: 689-772
• Author: Thomas J. Farrell,Brandon D. Minde

TRIAL

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CHAPTER 20

TRIAL

I. BEFORE TRIAL

A. Housekeeping; Scheduling, Educating Your Client

B. Motions in Limine

§20:01 General Points

§20:02 Ef fect on Need to Renew Objection at Trial

§20:03 When to Avoid or When to Use a Motion in Limine

§20:04 Prosecution Motions In Limine to Preclude a Defense

C. Theory of Defense

§20:10 The Theory Should Shift the Focus

§20:11 The Theory Guides the Trial

D. Change of Venue

§20:20 General Points

§20:21 Establishing Presumptive Prejudice

E. Jury Trial Versus Non-Jury

§20:30 The Client Can Waive Trial by Jury

§20:31 Factors to Consider

F. Final Trial Preparation

§20:40 Last-Month Checklist

§20:41 Trial Folder or Binder

§20:42 Prepare Your Client

§20:43 Obtaining Witness Statements From the Prosecutor

§20:44 Trial Subpoenas

§20:45 Time Limits in Criminal Cases

§20:46 Pretrial Stipulations

II. JURY SELECTION

A. How It Works

§20:50 The Venire

§20:51 Jury Selection Procedures

§20:52 The Struck Jury System

§20:53 The Jury Box System

§20:54 Picking the Jur y; Tactics and Tips

B. Questionnaires

§20:60 Advantages of Questionnaires

§20:61 Requesting a Questionnaire

C. Voir Dire

§20:70 Trends and General Points

§20:71 Juror Profiles and Focus Groups

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Criminal Defense Tools and Techniques 20-2

§20:72 Investigate Prospective Jurors

§20:73 Have Your Client Present

§20:74 Goals and Questions

§20:75 Individual Voir Dire

§20:76 Sample Topics

§20:77 Jur y Deselection

§20:78 Shackling of Defendant

D. Challenges for Cause

§20:80 No Limit to Challenges for Cause

§20:81 Cour t’s Discretion

§20:82 The Defense Dilemma When a Challenge Is Denied

E. Peremptory Challenges

§20:90 Equal Protection Clause Prohibitions

§20:91 Making an Equal Protection (Batson) Challenge

§20:92 Defending an Equal Protection (McCollum) Challenge

§20:93 Jur y Pool Fair Cross Section

III. BEGINNING THE TRIAL

§20:100 Closure of the Courtroom

§20:101 The Prosecution’s Opening Statement

§20:102 The Defense’s Opening Statement

IV. EVIDENCE

§20:105 Exhibits

§20:106 Types of Witnesses

§20:107 Examination of the Witness

§20:107.1 Direct Examination

§20:107.2 Cross-Examination

V. THE PROSECUTION CASE

A. Objections

§20:110 Object Immediately

§20:111 The Form for Objections

§20:112 Use Sidebars When Necessary

§20:113 Electronic Evidence

B. The Hearsay/Relevance Argument

§20:120 The Crawford and Davis Analysis

§20:121 Background of the Investigation

§20:122 Victim State of Mind

§20:123 Expert Testimony

§20:124 Test Results

C. Prior Bad Acts

§20:130 Admission Leads to a Conviction

§20:131 Tactics to Avoid Admission

§20:132 Prosecutorial Misconduct in the Presentation of Its Case

D. Cross-Examination

1. General Points

§20:140 Cross-Examination Is Part of the Defense

§20:141 Goals

§20:142 Tactics

2. The Difficult Witness

§20:150 Be Persistent

§20:151 Tactics

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3. Impeachment

§20:160 General Points

§20:161 Prior Inconsistent Statements

§20:162 Introducing the Prior Statement

§20:163 Prior Consistent Statements

§20:164 Refreshing Recollection

§20:165 Prior Bad Acts and Criminal Convictions

4. Deals with the Prosecution

§20:170 Emphasize the Prosecutor’s Role

§20:171 Focus on the Witness’s Understanding of the Deal

§20:172 Establish the Sentence the Witness Faces

§20:173 Prosecutor’s Denial of a Deal

5. Cross-Examining the Prosecution Expert

§20:180 Preparing to Cross-Examine the Expert

§20:181 Challenge the Factual Basis for the Opinion

§20:182 Limit the Damage From the Opinion

§20:183 Attacking the Opinion

§20:184 Attack the Expert

VI. THE DEFENSE CASE

A. Before Presenting the Case

§20:190 Motion for Judgment of Acquittal

§20:191 Preparing Your Witnesses

B. Defenses

§20:200 SODDI (“Some Other Dude Did It”)

§20:201 Consciousness of Innocence

§20:202 Good Faith

§20:203 Advice of Counsel

§20:204 Agency

§20:205 Alibi

§20:206 Affirmative Defenses

§20:206.1 Affirmative Defense – Entrapment

§20:206.2 Affirmative Defense – Duress or Necessity

§20:206.3 Affirmative Defense – Justification

§20:206.4 Affirmative Defense – Mere Presence

C. Defense Evidence

§20:210 Reverse Rule 404(b)

§20:211 Prior Convictions or Inconsistent Statements

§20:212 Character Evidence

§20:213 Consider an Offer of Proof

D. The Defendant as a Witness

§20:220 Whether the Defendant Should Testify

§20:221 Potential Perjury–The Lawyer’s Dilemma

§20:222 Potential Perjury–Representing the Client

§20:223 Potential Perjury–Protecting Yourself

E. The Prosecutor’s Cross-Examination

§20:230 General Points

§20:231 Comments on the Credibility of Other Witnesses

§20:232 Admission That Witness Did Not Notify Police

§20:233 Impeachment by Contradiction

§20:234 Consultation With Defense Counsel

§20:235 Cross-Examination on Character Evidence