Feb 21, 2008 :: First client helped

For one of my clients with a jury trial, I spent at least 15-20 actual hours of preparation, not counting all the off hours, rolling through the voir dire, opening statement, closing statement, all the facts, all the direct testimony, and cross-examination.

We all showed up at 8am as court set it on the docket for the jury trial. My witnesses were there and were going to do slendidly, they were prepped and ready. My defendant was clearly in the right. I will probably never know what actually happened, but my suspicion is that all the preparation showed. I would expect that law students spend exponentially more time preparing for these "smaller charges" than a government prosecutor ever could or would spend. The fact is that the prosecutor, who spoke with the complaining witness, decided just before the case was assigned to a court with a jury, to dismiss the charges.

All dressed up with no place to go, and the client's goal was certainly fulfilled, without spending the day to do it. And then I got to go to a class I was certain I was going to miss.

Maybe it all does work out in the end.