Jurors

Jury selection and voir dire in Virginia are arts in themselves, where criminal defense lawyers and all other lawyers have a chance directly to ask questions of and persuade potential jurors. As a Fairfax County, Virginia, criminal defense lawyer, I know the value of having...

Judges usually will not question jurors after post-verdict polling, says Fairfax criminal lawyer. Rarely do judges question jurors on their verdicts after they are polled -- within moments of the jury verdict being read in open court -- to assure that this verdict was indeed...

Virginia criminal lawyer on winning through devotion and ability, rather than being slick. Devotion to clients and persuasiveness win for criminal case clients. Slickness and polish may look good, but devotion, preparation, realness and persuasiveness win in court. As a Virginia criminal lawyer, I know...

Virginia criminal lawyer on winning through openness, embracing all, and eliminating negative words. Negative words are a downward spiral. We know that already, but negative words permeate daily dialogue, starting with car stereos blasting F-bombs and proceeding with referencing others as sex organs, and calling...

Persuasive engagement and well-cultivated vibrations persuade in criminal court. Manipulation is not what persuades, as I have learned time and again as a Virginia criminal lawyer. 

Opening hearts and minds and ears is an essential part of persuading in criminal defense and in any other endeavor. As a Fairfax criminal lawyer, I fully understand and follow that principle.

A key part of criminal defense victory is for the lawyer to be convinced that the client should be acquitted, to feel that in the lawyer's heart, guts and bones, and to persuasively convey those feelings to the judge and jury.

Judges and jurors must know that police are not immune from lying. Consider Michael Picard's plight. State trooper(s) from my natal state of Connecticut in September 2015 told Picard he was unlawfully filming them. Picard insisted he had the legal right to film them while...

Last night, my son and I attended Tape Face's only appearance in the Washington, D.C., area for his current tour. I had been looking forward to this performance very much, and even more to spending a weeknight on the town with my son. Tape Face,...

Once the persuader fully immerses himself or herself into the circle of the story, and fully engages others from that circle, they will be more likely to want to join the persuader in that persuasive circle.