If You Are on a Murder Jury Do You Have to Do It Again
Groundwork: This was a complex instance, not that I have anything to compare it to, other than the attorney's and the judge telling the states so. There were a lot of parties involved, therefore a lot of witnesses and bear witness to review. It was a true data overload. The best way I can depict the overload is if you scout a prove like House of Cards. The show is designed to give you clues about what will be happening not just in the next episode, simply v episodes from now. So you have to pay super close attending to ensure you don't miss anything, even if it doesn't seem relevant in that moment. But the departure is yous have the full general framework in which the bear witness is portrayed, you lot have previews, and you have what other people are talking about to assist yous piece it birthday. On a trial you get the testimony and that's it. No comparing notes with others, no exterior influence, null. You essentially have a avalanche of information thrown at you, that y'all cannot talk to anyone else most. This is magnified by the fact that your recollection of this information will be what decides someone else'south fate. Overwhelming is an understatement. This feel pb me to realizing many things about the style anything in life tin truly be a sales process. Here are just a few of my, many, many, takeaways.
Now the 4 lessons….
1. Your deportment do speak louder than words
How many times has someone said this to you lot? Cliché isn't it? But, wow, this couldn't exist any more than important in the court. This instance was complicated. On the starting time day of evidence nosotros heard from two police officers, the father of the victim, a detective, a sergeant and the medical examiner. This was all in the first mean solar day! Yet, with all of this carefully choreographed testimony we left the courtroom on day one not knowing a unmarried thing about the accused or his whereabouts during the criminal offense. It was carefully planned for usa not to learn almost this until later on.
I left the courthouse subsequently the first day knowing a lot but knowing absolutely naught. We had no information on the defendant – at all. The attorney'south spent the day setting the scene for us. Even though nosotros knew null virtually the defendants office in the crime, it was obvious from the commencement that the defence had no case. Her body language said it all. I, of class, remained objective through the entire trial weighing all sides of the story and prove with equal weight.
The defence force tried her damnedest with her spoken words but what she wasn't saying actually told the story better. She presented herself somewhat sloppy oftentimes with a wrinkled conform and untucked shirt. Her poor body language overshadowed her words. She didn't speak with a confident tone and used 'umm' fashion besides frequently. Information technology even went every bit far as getting the defendants name wrong during her opening statements.
She was often constitute swaying in an odd style effectually the courtroom. One could say this was a tactic but information technology wasn't done in a crisp plenty mode to be seen as such. Instead, she looked disheveled. She would rustle her legal pad in an attempt to appear authoritative, but, that besides, looked sloppy. The questions she asked each witness were carefully idea out, but her delivery was poor at best. The prosecution tore apart her words and the words of the witness each and every fourth dimension. Rather than calmly heed to the prosecution and the witnesses, she would lean far back in her chair, chuckle to herself, make eye contact with the jury, utilize chapstick – you name it. She acted as if she wasn't paying attention to what was happening on multiple occasions. Once more, this could be a poorly executed tactic.
Regardless of what tactics she may or may not have been using, her actions spoke ten times louder than her words. In a business setting this is the difference between getting the sale or not. Unfortunately in situations similar the courtroom, someone'southward life hangs in the residuum.
2. It'southward obvious when someone is coming from a identify of desperation
Lesson number two stems from the first lesson. Years ago my business organisation jitney said to me 'he wreaks of desperation' in reference to someone with whom I was working with. Since I was so close to the state of affairs at the time, I couldn't quite run across what she saw. It took me years to fully empathise her comment. Her bespeak to me at the time was – if you become into a sales meeting presenting yourself as if your family won't eat unless you get that sale – you wreak of agony and people can see that a mile away. Desperation can be loud and ugly fifty-fifty when you don't meet it.
This trial experience put this annotate into total focus for me. Unfortunately for the defense she wreaked of agony from the second she spoke to the jury. In her defence (no pun intended), she didn't take a lot to work with. The prosecution had a very strong instance from the beginning which included a confession from the defendant. Every bit the defense it's hard to compete with that. Given that she didn't accept a lot with which to work, she was probably doing the best she could. However, everything about what was said, how it was said, how she shifted nearly the courtroom – sent letters of despair. At some points she may have well only said "We've got goose egg" and left the courtroom. The deck was not stacked in her favor.
3. Everything in life is nearly sales
Any legal drama on Boob tube tin can reveal that the courtroom is all about putting on a evidence. While I take more friends that are lawyers than whatever other profession, I don't take a solid handle on how our justice system operates. I have a hunch, unless you lot are a lawyer, you lot may non either. I definitely have a better understanding now, for which I'm grateful for. Simply regardless of its intricacies, the about important thing in the courtroom is the showmanship – getting the auction. Or in this case, getting the guilty or not guilty verdict.
I walked abroad from this experience wanting to be the prosecutor. She was so calm, cool and collected the entire trial. She knew the exact questions to ask to go the exact answers she needed to build her case. It was pure magic as she worked the room. While she had the upper hand in the case, she nevertheless had to build it in a methodical systematic way. Her communication manner was direct, to the point, and flawless. She never said 'umm' and she exuded confidence at all times. Whether she felt like she had a slam dunk case or non, her torso language and verbal communication lead us to believe she did. She was unwavering in her delivery to observe justice.
Unlike the prosecution, the defence began to crack early on. From her aural gasps to her occasional disheveled appearance – you lot could come across it getting to her. She couldn't command, the situation and she let it go the best of her. She had the hand she was dealt and had to play it the best she could. Unfortunately, there was nothing she could exercise to modify the facts of this example, there was no good outcome for her or her client.
In business, if you testify upward to a sales meeting and you don't present yourself well in both your exact and non-verbal communications – it is going to exist obvious to those effectually you. If you don't have a proficient hand or believe you aren't every bit good equally your contest – don't let anyone meet it. The expression "fake it until you lot make it", exists for a reason. Sometimes yous have to act confident even if you believe you are on the losing side and are scared to decease on the within.
four. Come prepared to shut the sale
When you prove up unprepared for annihilation y'all are at an immediate disadvantage. Fifty-fifty if you don't experience you take the strongest case you lot need to put every effort in to convey that you do. You must come prepared to close the auction. Not to talk about the potential of a auction. Not to shyly ask for sale. But to straight upwardly close the sale and get the business. Preparation is key.
I stated earlier that this was a complex instance. There were a lot of parties involved, therefore a lot of witnesses and evidence we needed to keep rails of. Equally someone with non the greatest of short-term memories I was anxiety ridden over forgetting something important. Thankfully, we were allowed to accept notes throughout.
Imagine a sales meeting where you are throwing a barrage of features and benefits at your potential client. Your message isn't clear and you are sending them into the land of data overload. And then your competition comes in after you – succinctly shares their bulletin and provides a recap/overview of the offering in an easy to remember digestible way. Who do you retrieve has the better likelihood of getting the business? My gauge is going to be the person with the clear message that is rememberable.
During the endmost arguments, we hit the pinnacle of showmanship. The prosecution had to prove the defendant was guilty on 3 separate charges. Inside each of those charges she had ii-iii specific additional items she had to also prove guilty on, beyond a reasonable doubt. Over iii weeks of testimony, it boiled down to 7 key points she needed to prove the accused was guilty of.
Her secret weapon? A PowerPoint presentation! She went through each and every single count, 1 by one and fabricated her case in a very systematic way. She referenced and cited fundamental testimony from witnesses to illustrate her points.
Her closing argument was i of the best sales presentations I've ever seen. She needed to sell the jury on why the defendant was guilty. She did it in a style that reduced my level of stress because she recapped and highlighted all of the key points in a chronological order that built the case from the previous weeks of testimony. It was like the Cliff's Notes version of the trial.
One of the most fascinating points about the prosecution'due south closing arguments was the entire time she went through her PowerPoint with us, her back faced the defence and never once did she plow to see their reactions. She was stone cold confident in her deportment and words.
She should have turned effectually because the defense was putting on a prove. A few times the defense through her artillery in the air, let out a few audible groans, a few sneers, amid other antics. Simply the prosecutor did non react or acknowledge anything going on backside her, even if the jury seemed distracted past it.
The prosecution came prepared to close the deal, while the defense force swayed and weaved her way through the courtroom with her scrappy legal pad and zilch substantive to say. It was very clear who came prepared and who didn't. The concern lesson here is fifty-fifty if y'all know yous are going to lose – show upward prepared. Try your hardest to get the win, fifty-fifty if it doesn't seem likely. At the very least information technology'due south good practice for when you are in a like situation next fourth dimension.
In conclusion
I am going to confess something here…. Beingness a juror has been a 'bucket list' particular for me. But I could have done without it being a murder trial or lasting 3 weeks. I'm a dork, I know this. What I did find awesome is that I was able to really prioritize my business concern and find very efficient ways to keep my business organisation moving steady in my absenteeism which was an incredible lesson to acquire. I just have a lengthy backlog of phone calls to make now – and you may be one of them!
This rates as 1 of the about fascinating and haunting experiences of my life. I learned I tin get without sleeping well for 3 directly weeks, although I don't recommend it. I learned the incredible way in which our legal system works. And I learned that in that location is amazing overlap between selling a production/service and selling a verdict.
While this is a longer post than usual, I hope you enjoyed it. Equally always, I would love to hear your thoughts!
Source: https://jenntgrace.com/4-lessons-learned-juror-murder-trial/
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