The best way to win over a jury in a case is to be perfectly comfortable with all the facts in the case.  You have to be a master of knowing your case backwards and forwards.  And if you come before the jury and you have the truth on your side, the case is going to resolve itself in front of the jury, and they’re going to see that you’re expressing the truth of your case, and they’re going to recognize that, and they’re going to side with you.

It’s often said that when people are looking at two teams that are playing, let’s say soccer, and these two teams are competing against one another, and you have no idea who these teams are.  Let’s say they’re in a foreign country like in Europe or something like that.  There have been studies that have shown that you will make up your mind within the first five minutes who to root for.  And you’re going to continue to root for that team even though you have no idea who these people are.

The same thing works with trial attorneys.  Within the first five minutes of a case, the jury a lot of times will make up their mind what they’re going to do in the case, and certainly who they’re going to root for, and who they’re not going to root for.  And since the person that has the burden of evidence, which is us, is going forward first, it is absolutely essential that your attorney have a mastery of the facts of your case so they can win over the jury immediately.