The law has its timeframes and procedures and places its participators within its web of control. This is whether they be the accused, those defending them, or those looking for financial compensation where personal injury lawyers will be involved. Everyone has to adhere to the rules that allow both parties to put a fair account forward of themselves whether it is a criminal case in which innocence or guilt is to be proven or about achieving financial justice or damages in a civil case.
We thought that it might be useful to come up with some tips on how we survive the court case that we cannot control but end up a part of. These tips will seek to look at it from everyone’s perspective.
Deadlines
Everyone concerned will need to adhere to the legal deadlines. Otherwise, a court case may be delayed when those seeking resolution desire it sooner rather than later to get on with their life.
A legal team will think of its reputation and so will also want legal deadlines to be met. It cannot be the best approach to delay things unless legally necessary when trying to present the best possible case in front of a judge.
So, if you do not want the date for a court case extended, always pay attention to legal deadlines and the documents that need completing and returning within timeframes. Always follow legal advice on this.
Ensure the Evidence is Admissable
This is something legal teams will very much advise on. It can be frustrating when evidence is not accepted that might be considered by some as crucial to a case. It does depend on how legal and ethical the methods used to obtain it were and whether it is likely to be accurate. The best kinds of evidence are forensic where they can be backed up by science. Circumstantial evidence will be the least useful as it does not prove anything for definite except raise suspicions. It is generally how a police investigation starts, so by the time a court stage is reached it should be with evidence that will prove a situation beyond all reasonable doubt.
Know the Case Well
A legal professional such as a car accident lawyer will spend a lot of time going through the details of a case to make sure that they are thoroughly familiar with it. Also, of course, they will be looking for loopholes and procedures that have not been correctly followed, that might prove advantageous in the case.
An accused can also know what they are going to say in advance and keep going over it so that it never alters so that they prove convincing rather than a stumbling witness when the time comes. Any hesitations are likely to indicate that a story other than the truth is being presented. Those that were there, after all, should find it hard to forget. However, court cases invariably take a long time to happen, so memories can fade. The answer to this is to keep going over things at regular intervals and have everything written down.
In a civil case where compensation is being claimed, the more situations that can be thought of concerning how life has been affected by injury will only strengthen a case and increase the amount of compensation. A brainstorming session on your own and then while in the presence of a lawyer will help. A legal team will, however, have lots of ideas based on similar past cases to add to your first-hand experiences.
It will provide peace of mind that everyone knows the case well as they will then all feel more in control of it.
Learn the Ropes
As an accused, allow the legal team representing to give pointers on how best to present in court. It will make the best impression. It will, after all, be an unfamiliar environment to most people. We cannot necessarily go on what we have seen on television when trying to think how it might be. Let those who have been inside a real courtroom be your guide.
Achieving success or the best possible result with a court case is as much about presentation as saying the right things to convince judges and juries that an honest and reliable account is being given of a situation.
Choosing Juries
In the UK, at least, an accused can reject certain jury members. Only 12, after all, are required to run a criminal case where guilt is being denied. This can be a difficult decision to make because, as they say, you cannot judge a book by its cover. Perhaps learning body language might aid the survival of an accused through this process as only expression and body movements can be judged when it comes to possible prejudices existing, as neutral as a jury should in theory be.
Watch Some Trials
We mentioned earlier about not relying on what happens on TV, but those writing dramas do try to maintain some accuracy. They research and have advisers from the occupations making sure at least a degree of accuracy exists and things like courtroom scenes stay as faithful as possible to real life. Detective dramas are popular because of how close they are to reality.
Also, think about sitting in a public gallery of a courtroom as an accused, family member, or friend, to become more familiar with that sort of environment.
In conclusion, we hope that the above will help anyone to survive who finds themselves in a courtroom, whether it is to defend innocence or achieve compensation, and whether the individual is the accused, looking for justice against another, or their legal team.
