Developing Your Trial Strategy

By Amber L. St. Clair

The following are two helpful tips to develop your trial strategy:

Develop a theory of your case. A theory of the case is the defendant's one-line statement advising the jury why he is not guilty. It is the defendant's version of the events that will contradict the state's version of events and that will lead the jury to believe that the defendant is not guilty.
Spotting good facts and bad facts. When the lawyer first reads through discovery, he or she should highlight the apparent good and bad facts for the client. The good facts support the defendant's innocence and the bad facts support the prosecutor's theory of guilt.