By Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm: It is common advice for witnesses in the courtroom or representatives at counsel table: keep a poker face. That advice — avoid scowls, grimaces, and other head-shaking reactions while you’re being observed by a jury — has some obvious common sense behind it. But the advice can also be taken to […]
Show (a Little) Facial Expression in Court Read More »
So your trial is coming up soon, and it looks like it will definitely happen. So now is the time to get a graphic designer to start developing some of your themes and arguments into clear and persuasive graphics, right? Wrong! The time to have started that is long past. If you develop graphics at
Be Visual: Develop Your Demonstrative Case as You Build your Substantive Case Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm: A recent issue of American Lawyer included the provocatively titled article, “Why Jury Consultants May Not Be Worth It and Other Tips from Judges.” Reporting on discussions from the Ninth Circuit Judicial Conference, the article included a comment from Judge Marsha J. Pechman of the U.S. Western District of Washington that jury
Don’t “Read” Your Jury Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda-Bahm: The importance of including graphics when presenting to a judge or jury is understood these days. Still, I think the design and execution of these graphics can be too often treated as an afterthought. Instead of using a timeline as a central and fundamental way of structuring the case for fact-finders,
Treat Your Demonstratives as Cake, Not Icing Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: The idea that “seeing is believing” is the kind of adage that can have more traction as a truism than as a research finding. But when it comes to truly appreciating the visual advantage in litigation, understanding the research can be helpful. In the case of a visual demonstrative that moves
Animate It: If Jurors See It, They’re More Likely to Believe It Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: As courts continue their uncertain transition from a Covid to a post-Covid stance, the word from many is that the Zoom hearing is the pandemic adaptation that is most likely to become a normal feature of litigation going forward. Zoom makes it simple and inexpensive to get all the parties
Take Advantage of Screen Prominence in Your Zoom Hearing Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: This past Friday, eight people died at a music festival in Houston, crushed by a crowd as the music continued and security was unable to help. As the tragedy moves toward litigation, it is likely that this will be another case where there is a profusion of video, with dozens
Account for Camera Perspective Bias Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: After receiving many warnings from the court and counsel on what they’re about to see, the jurors are finally shown the injury photos. Some of them frown, one covers her face, many look away after a quick glance, and a couple study it closely. This is a regular occurrence in
Gruesome Injury Photos: Consider the Halo of High Impact Evidence Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: The idea is a merger of pop culture with academics. In pop culture, “truthiness” refers facetiously to the feeling of something being true, independent of its actual truth value (a term coined by late-night comedian, Stephen Colbert). Academics, however, have creatively adopted the term to describe the real phenomenon that occurs when
Witnesses, Add to Your ‘Truthiness’ by Showing Pictures Read More »
By Dr. Ken Broda Bahm: As it was in the first time around, the result for Donald Trump’s second impeachment trial seems to be a foregone conclusion: There is no foreseeable scenario that would have 17 republican senators crossing the aisle to vote to convict the former President for inciting the violent riots on Capital
Learn Visual Storytelling from the Second Impeachment Trial’s “Day in the Life” Video Read More »