Evidence and the Jury
David Serna, an attorney-at-law, discusses various matters and issues on litigation, prosecution, and defense. Most of his readers consist of both newly-minted and experienced lawyers. Today, he discusses the importance of leaving an impact on the jury. Jurors will not remember what they do not understand. The narrative of the case and the evidence supporting such narrative must be clear to them. Ideally, the narrative must be detailed but, at the same time, concise. David Serna tells attorneys that the advantage of being concise and detailed with the facts desired to be established is that the theory of the case becomes easier for the jury to recall during the deliberations. Each piece of evidence must have a purpose. The job of the lawyer is to establish the usefulness of the evidence. For instance, there are cases where drug, blood, or field sobriety tests give weight to the theory of the case. In effect, the version of the narrative becomes more convincing to the jury. ...