Cross-Examination Quotes

Being a trial lawyer sounds like glamorous work, but most of your time is spent pushing paper and arguing.

In the courtroom, it's where a lawyer really becomes an actor. There's a very fine line between delivering a monologue in a play and delivering a monologue to a jury. I've always felt that way - I've been in a lot of courtrooms. The best lawyers are really theatrical.

Criminal cases require strategy, and prosecutors should attempt to prove only what can be proved.

I agree with Scott Turow: A courtroom is inherently dramatic. You walk into court - it's like an ER, you know? Life and death is going on there. And it's moment-by-moment, and it's packed with energy. And even though you think you know what a witness is going to say, you can be wrong. Witnesses surprise you.

Practically, every defense lawyer knows that the jury desperately wants to hear from the defendant and that the only reason not to put him on the stand is that he is soooo guilty that every answer he gives after his name will eradicate any shred of reasonable doubt.

The defendant wants to hide the truth because he's generally guilty. The defense attorney's job is to make sure the jury does not arrive at that truth.

I'm not pretending when I'm in that court room.

From childhood on, I did sit in the courtroom watching my father argue cases and talk to juries.

One problem was that my direct testimony was in writing, so a lot of people didn't get to see it. I hope they see it, because I think it built a very strong case.

I'm an old trial lawyer.

A trial without witnesses, when it involves a criminal accusation, a criminal matter, is not a true trial.

A fair trial is one in which the rules of evidence are honored, the accused has competent counsel, and the judge enforces the proper courtroom procedures - a trial in which every assumption can be challenged.

I was a defense attorney before I was a prosecutor, and so knowing what the defense is going to try to do is something that you have to do constantly when you're in trial. I always went to trial knowing what they were doing. So I was always in both mindsets anyway. 'Oh, they're going to do this, then I'm going to do that.'

Some writers hate to go to trials, but I love trials.

A trial is a powerful vehicle to explain things. It is the most time that anybody spends really thinking about one thing. Unless you are the analyst on the National Security staff that's assigned to monitor Putin, and that's all you do, day in and day out, very few people ever spend the time on a single subject that is spent during trial.

It was an interesting experience to work alongside the solicitor general's team and then turn around and argue against them. You certainly grow as a lawyer from getting such a varied set of experiences.

I view myself primarily as a trial lawyer who happens to be writing, as opposed to a writer who happens to be a trial lawyer, so the audience is like a jury to me.

And I've always felt comfortable certainly in a courtroom because you're just performing. And there was a time in my life when I thought when I grew up I'd be a trial lawyer myself.

All sides in a trial want to hide at least some of the truth.

The prosecutor, who is supposed to carry the burden of proof, really is an author.

Courts of law require evidence to go to trial - not opinions from bureaucrats.

I am a trial lawyer. Matilda says that at dinner on a good day I sound like an affidavit.

I answered their questions truthfully and honestly, but I would prefer not to say more. I assume the information was routed back and that is why I was not called to testify.

In cross examination, as in fishing, nothing is more ungainly than a fisherman pulled into the water by his catch.

When you're thrust into litigation, you obviously have to make sure you're prepared to deal with that.