Thinking Like a Juror
Jurors, by and large, want to do the right thing. What that means in practical terms: the side that they believe more wins. Is that a proper application of the reasonable doubt standard? It’s hard to say, but it would be foolish to dismiss what actually goes through a juror’s mind in deliberations if the goal is to win.
When a juror looks at the defense’s story and compares it to the prosecution’s, which story is more believable? If it’s hard to say, which story is better? Whose version of events is easier to picture?
Whether or not you want to go to trial, you want the prosecution to have a bit of apprehension about that possibility. That feeling is only going to manifest if the defense is equipped to tell the better story. That means having an attorney who is creative enough to structure your version of events in a way that runs parallel to the prosecution’s and whose personality is friendly and energetic. The script and the performance both have to deliver.
What do criminal defense services cost?
For certain offenses, the amount of time required to see the representation through to its conclusion can be reasonably well determined. In these cases, clients may elect to enter into a representation arrangement on a fixed fee basis. For other charges, the amount of time it can take to get from the beginning of representation to the conclusion of the matter can vary drastically from case to case. In such cases, we utilize an hourly rate of $250. During our initial discussion, we will identify whether the fixed or hourly schedule is appropriate, and you can decide from there if representation makes sense to you.