A Time for Mercy (Relié)

Monday, August 6. Jake slept in short little naps interrupted by long stretches of wide-eyed worries about all the things that could go wrong. His dream was to become a great trial lawyer, but, as always on the first morning, he asked himself why anyone would want the stress. In the courtroom, and in front of the jury, a lawyer has at least ten things on his mind, all crucial. He must concentrate on the witness, either his or an opponent's, and hear every word of the testimony.

Should he object, and why ? Has he covered all of the facts ? Are the jurors listening, and if so do they believe the witness ? Do they like the witness ? If they're not paying attention, is this beneficial or not ? He must observe every move made by his opponent and predict where he is going. What is his strategy ? Has he changed in midcourse, or is he laying a trap ? And the Judge—was he on top of his game ? The final summation was often the most dramatic moment, but preparing it ahead of time was difficult because the witnesses had not yet been heard.

He'd won the Hailey acquittal with a stunning dosing argument. Could he do it again ? What magic words or phrases could he conjure up to save his client ?