Topics in "Bell & Geoffroy's Deep Dive Into Demonstratives"
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Lloyd Bell and Michael Geoffroy introduce the discussion and talk about the power demonstratives can have in a trial.
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
Every time that I have used demonstrative evidence and reached back and pulled that [demonstrative] out in the courtroom, I have never been disappointed. — Geoffroy on the power of using demonstratives.
Bell and Geoffroy break down Bell's use of an anatomical demonstrative in Williams v. St. Francis Hospital, a medical malpractice case that led to a $26 million verdict for a woman's catastrophic brain damage. .
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
Demonstratives need to be simple and they need to show immediately the point that you want to raise — Bell on critical considerations when choosing demonstratives.
Common Items as Demonstratives
Bell breaks down his use of non-anatomical models in openings of the Williams trial, including common items such as a loaf of bread and a cardboard tube, and the pair discuss the use of timelines to support your case.
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
A timeline should not be a collection of data points. . . The purpose of a timeline is to show relationships between events. — Bell on the approach to take when setting up a timeline.
Demonstratives in Lockhart v. Bloom and Lavania
Bell and Geoffroy discuss Bell's use of demonstratives in openings of a medical malpractice trial in which jurors handed down a seven-figure verdict for a patient forced to undergo a leg amputation.
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
The first five minutes of opening statement is the golden five minutes. That’s the golden time when the jury is curious, engaged, and you don’t want to waste that with nonsense and fluff. — Bell on making the most of the first five minutes of your opening statement.
Telling a powerful story with demonstratives
The attorneys discuss how to use demonstratives to make the story of your case more vivid.
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
If you can get close physical proximity with the jury and show them something interesting and see their body language, [how they] kind of lean in, it further creates connection, credibility, and understanding. — Bell on how to connect with jurors through movement and demonstratives.
Demonstratives across a range of cases
Geoffroy gives examples of demonstratives he has used in trial and the two discuss the ways in which demonstratives can be used across a variety of cases.
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
One of the things that we always. . . try to look for is 'What was the impact of this injury? How did these damages really affect the real day-to-day life of your client?' — Geoffroy on how demonstratives can be particularly useful in cases that do not involve catastrophic injuries.
The two attorneys discuss Bell's opening in Nelson v. Emory Healthcare, in which Bell reenacted his client's fall from an examination table.
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
The courtroom is the place for drama… and it’s the place for taking chances and giving the jury a memory, an impact - physical or otherwise - of the incident. — Bell on why using demonstratives creatively is so important to tell a compelling story that connects with your jury.
Bell shows examples of demonstratives he has used, and the two attorneys break down why they were effective.
What you'll learn:
Quotable moment:
You want [your jurors] to be at a point where they say, 'What's coming next?'" — Geoffroy on using demonstratives to hold a jury's attention throughout a trial.
Bell recommends additional resources and the pair take questions from viewers.
Next Steps
Here's where to head next in our library.
See all of Lloyd Bell's trials covered by CVN.
Watch an in-depth interview with Lloyd Bell on his trial approach.