The Law Office of J. Jeffrey Lee

02/27/2022

It often looks like the criminal defendant does not have any supporters, because his or her lawyer has only secured witnesses to appear for the trial. This is an issue for the criminal defendant, because witnesses cannot enter the courtroom until after they have testified. Since the defense goes second, their witnesses might be outside for nearly the entire trial -- at least until the closing argument, and the opportunity to make a favorable first impression is lost. It's much better to begin the criminal trial when a number of supporters, and then their numbers keep growing, as each criminal defense witness testifies, and then joins the group of existing supporters.

When it comes to criminal trial advocacy, many lawyers only think about evidence 'on the stand,' but they forget that a criminal trial happens in a larger ov...

01/15/2022

If there is no forensic evidence, does that mean that the case is automatically dismissed?

When there is no forensic evidence, does that mean that the prosecutor has to automatically dismiss the case? The short answer is no, because forensic eviden...

01/09/2022

What does impeachment look like in a criminal case -- when does it work, and when does it flop? What are the steps to maximize the impact of the impeachment? Also, how is impeachment used in coordination with the other stages of a trial?

01/09/2022

One of the biggest mistakes a criminal defendant can make is not to review the discovery for everything that ISN'T in there -- what witnesses do WE need, what story do WE want to tell in the trial? It is important to respond to the State's story, but it is also important to tell our own.

Discovery in a criminal trial is all of the written evidence that the State or Government intends to use against you. It can include photos, graphs, medical ...

01/04/2022

What happens when a defendant receives a jury verdict that includes guilty, not guilty, and undecided? Jeff Lee discusses the federal trial of Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes.

Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes was found guilty on four out of eleven federal charges, not guilty of four others, and the jury did not reach a unanimous verdi...

10/07/2021

https://youtu.be/YvqNyTm7x7s

What are Bail, Bond, & Source Hearings? These are legal proceedings to release a criminal defendant from custody while his or her case is pending. The court ...

10/07/2021

https://youtu.be/fBAnU6ltu9Q
(Please skip past the introduction if blinking lights could trigger a seizure reaction).

Arrest warrants explained! Attorney Jeff Lee discusses a number of legal issues related to turning yourself in -- on your own terms. Turn yourself into jail ...

10/07/2021

https://youtu.be/aixb7Wf5lEc

Attorney Jeff Lee discusses what happens when a criminal defendant writes a letter to the Judge. In the best scenario, the Judge does not open the letter and...

10/06/2021

https://youtu.be/u2z33Tbm1U4

"Innocent Until Proven Guilty" does not emphasize a criminal defendant's presumption of innocence. "Innocent Unless Proven Guilty" is therefore a more accura...

10/06/2021

https://youtu.be/mjnnNwFAyd8

Attorney Jeff Lee uses Brian Laundrie in the Gabby Petito case as an example of the terms "person of interest" and "suspect." High-profile media cases often ...