Victor Methos Blog

I get asked a lot about jury trials. Is it really like in the movies and TV shows where prosecutors and defense attorneys can go undefeated? Is there really so much drama? Do people pull out guns or break down on the stand and confess to the crime?

Both yes and no to all these questions.

There's jury trials I've had where I've taken my suit coat off and pounded the table shouting about my client's innocence, where I've picked up the murder weapon and demonstrated its use like they allege my client did the day of the attack; I've juggled bricks of cocaine to show the jury that it's just a powder and not some mystical demon to be feared. I've had clients breakdown on the stand and, despite all my preparation with them, unwittingly confess to another crime that makes them look worse to the jury.

But I've also had jury trials where an expert witness gave 40 hours of testimony on human physiology and anatomy before even getting to the injuries of the victim in the case. I've had white collar trials so boring I glanced over and a good half the jury had nodded off. I even had a trial where the prosecutor asked eight hours of questions, that consisted basically of a dozen questions he just kept asking in different ways trying to trip the witness up. Needless to say, snooze-fest.

So I wrote a book where the protagonist is writing a book (as well as dealing with a brutal murder) about how to win jury trials and the rules that govern the game. Am I revealing too much? Maybe. I have a feeling some defense attorneys will be bugged that I'm just giving away our "secrets," but, hey, my choice.

So if you really want to see what jury trials are like and what tactics we defense lawyers are looking to use, check out the book, which comes out on July 1st.