Lawyer blamed for reversed verdict feels vindicated by appellate ruling that judge abused discretion

A New York judge erred by reversing a jury’s defense verdict based on claimed misbehavior by a lawyer not directly involved in the case, a state appeals court has ruled. Saying that there was no way to determine from the record whether a lawyer attending a dental malpractice trial as…

Feb 11, 2015 12:25 PM CST

Court says Aaron Hernandez defense team must remove new items from his home before jury tour

Prosecutors trying a first-degree murder case against former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez learned an important lesson from a famous first-degree murder trial 20 years ago against another former NFL star, an ESPN legal analyst says. Apparently alerted by the way OJ Simpson’s home was staged prior to a…

Feb 6, 2015 1:25 PM CST

Meltdown wins juror prospect a nix in Batman movie murders; juror axed in Hernandez case for chatter

Some prospective jurors want to serve in high-profile murder cases and others definitely do not. A woman in the latter group was initially told Tuesday that she would have to return to court to complete a juror questionnaire in the Colorado movie-theater massacre case against James Holmes despite her claim…

Feb 4, 2015 4:20 PM CST

Going beyond the evidence to spin a story for your jury

Trial storytelling is often highly creative and innovative. It is filled with aesthetic danger and strategic risk-taking—as are all forms of narrative art. But there is far more at stake for legal storytellers.

Feb 1, 2015 6:21 AM CST

Word choice influences the way jurors understand your argument

Feb 1, 2015 2:20 AM CST

Judge lets Aaron Herandez jury watch Super Bowl but urges vigilance to avoid case-related info

The Massachusetts judge overseeing the first-degree murder trial of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez told jurors in the case they can watch the Super Bowl on Sunday. But, as the Patriots play the Seattle Seahawks, jurors must “be especially vigilant,” Judge Susan Garsh said Friday. “If you’re watching…

Jan 30, 2015 4:10 PM CST

Judge axes indictment against lawyers in witness-tampering case, citing improper testimony

Citing evidentiary issues including hearsay, improper opinion testimony and irrelevant testimony, a judge on Wednesday dismissed a witness-tampering case against a New York lawyer and his associate. While the decision by Justice David Zuckerman does not prevent prosecutors from going back to square one and attempting to get another Putnam…

Jan 30, 2015 10:50 AM CST

Sheriff takes to the streets to round up jurors

A sheriff in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, took to the streets last week to round up potential jurors for an upcoming trial. Sheriff Ron Cramer acted after the clerk of courts in Eau Claire County notified him of the juror shortage, WEAU reports. A Wisconsin law on insufficient jurors authorizes such…

Jan 27, 2015 9:28 AM CST

Pennsylvania supremes block any charges against state attorney general

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has blocked any charges against Attorney General Kathleen Kane as it considers her challenge to the appointment of a special prosecutor who led an investigation of her. The court on Thursday issued a stay of any prosecution stemming from grand jurors’ recommendations in the case, which…

Jan 23, 2015 11:39 AM CST

Tsarnaev trial judge seals defense motion quoting juror questionnaires

A Boston judge has sealed a defense motion seeking to move the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev because it reveals information from jury questionnaires. U.S. District Judge George O’Toole Jr. said in an order (PDF) on Thursday that it was improper to quote from the confidential questionnaires…

Jan 23, 2015 7:41 AM CST

Grand jury recommends perjury charge against Pennsylvania AG; she vows not to resign

Grand jurors have recommended criminal charges against Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane in connection with an investigation into a grand jury leak, according to unsealed documents released on Wednesday. The recommended charges are perjury, false swearing, official oppression and obstruction, report the Legal Intelligencer, the Morning Call and the Philadelphia…

Jan 22, 2015 7:12 AM CST

Jury selection begins in movie theater massacre trial

Jury selection began Tuesday in the capital murder trial of James Holmes, 27, who is accused of fatally shooting a dozen people and injuring 70 more in a July 20, 2012 massacre at a Colorado theater at which a new Batman movie was being shown. Holmes has pleaded not guilty…

Jan 20, 2015 2:45 PM CST

How lawyers can craft a case narrative to spark jurists’ and jurors’ interest

Peter Brooks, the esteemed narrative theorist, tells an anecdote about a brilliant graduate student in his advanced narrative theory seminar at Yale.

Jan 1, 2015 2:30 AM CST

Sheriff: Murderer’s claimed contact with 2 jurors in court elevator didn’t happen exactly as he says

Corrected: A convicted double murderer in Pennsylvania is seeking a new trial in his latest case based on his claim to have had unsupervised contact, in a courthouse elevator, with two of the jurors who later convicted him. The November encounter occurred after he became separated from the court deputies…

Dec 19, 2014 4:55 PM CST

Brad Pitt gets a pass on LA jury duty because his presence is too distracting

Actor Brad Pitt dutifully arrived at the downtown Los Angeles courthouse on Friday after he was summoned to jury duty. But after waiting several hours to be questioned he was told he wouldn’t have to serve because his presence on a jury would be too distracting, reports the Daily Mail.…

Dec 18, 2014 11:35 AM CST