Comments on: Should judges let lawyers perform magic tricks in closing argument?

By: Ron Miller

Ron Miller — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 21:13:36 +0000

I’m just grateful this guy is a defense lawyer. Or these comments would show no mercy.

By: Chris Hoey

Chris Hoey — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 19:07:44 +0000

The cigar tale was told of Clarence Darrow, and stems from the days smoking was permitted in court rooms. I believe it was recounted in one of his biographies, the name of which eludes this old lawyer.

By: Raymer

Raymer — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:32:42 +0000

And if the lawyer is also a surgeon (MD/JD) maybe he could wow the jury with the transplant of a heart of a liberal into the body of a conservative (punch line – but how does one stop the bleeding).
Why argue a weak case when you can substitute complete fluff for substance.

By: DBL

DBL — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:05:26 +0000

Wasn’t there a famous NY trial lawyer in the last century who used to take out a cigar during his opponent’s closing argument and smoke it all the way down? The trick was the cigar had a wire running through it so the ash never fell off, and the jury would watch, intently, waiting to see what happened to the ash, rather than listen to the other side’s closing. Maybe this story is apochryphal, I don’t know.

By: Dirk D

Dirk D — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:29:57 +0000

“That the undersigned counsel opted to travel the globe to learn a special set of performance skills”

He traveled the globe to learn cheap parlor tricks?

By: That Lawyer Dude

That Lawyer Dude — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 14:33:27 +0000

Funny, I used a ball and some cups to illustrate the prosecutor was trying to hide the issue under a bunch of immaterial issues about the defendant’s past criminal behavior. The Prosecutor objected, the court said it wasn’t evidence and it might keep the jury awake so he sustained it, and the jury agreed that the prosecutor did not prove a case. That would have happened with or without the “magic”. Good bad or otherwise, he has a right to use his skills in summation. I would just prepare for it and hit it in my summation.