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GEORGE CARLIN’S “SEVEN DIRTY WORDS” & JUDGES BANNING THE USE OF SPECIFIC WORDS IN TRIAL

GEORGE CARLIN’S “SEVEN DIRTY WORDS” & JUDGES BANNING THE USE OF SPECIFIC WORDS IN TRIAL

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During one of Comedian Lenny Bruce’s performances in 1966 he was arrested for saying words which were deemed public profanity. They included words like “ass, piss, shit, and balls” In 1972 George Carlin released an album entitled Class Clown which had a track based on Bruce’s use of the words called “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” and made fun of a law that prohibited their use on television. In 1973 a New York radio station played Carlin’s…

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A PRIMER OUTLINE OF IMPORTANT BASICS OF TRIAL CONCEPTS

A PRIMER OUTLINE OF IMPORTANT BASICS OF TRIAL CONCEPTS

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While the following points are well known to almost all of us, it is important, from time to time, to review the basics involved in the trial of the case. Here are a few of the well-known and well-established ideas to keep in mind. I  appreciate these may be overly simplistic, but we often forget the basics of good trial tactics. FOCUS ON THE DEFENDANT – NOT THE PLAINTIFF. START THE STORY TALKING ABOUT THE DEFENDANT. In 1999 Lawyers Weekly…

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WHAT CAN OLD TIME RADIO ADVENTURES TEACH US ABOUT PRESENTING OUR CASES?

WHAT CAN OLD TIME RADIO ADVENTURES TEACH US ABOUT PRESENTING OUR CASES?

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Have you ever asked someone “What is your case about?” and they respond: “My client was  driving his pickup truck on I-5 near Federal Way in the middle  lane going between 60 and 65 mph when traffic ahead  slowed…” and so on. That’s how we present our cases to the jury – a narrative or chronology instead of a story. A story begins with a descriptive characterization about the essence of the case. For example, a response to this question…

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