Court scenes - Writers Forum

CelticCricket · 08-27-2007, 12:08 PM

I was wondering if anyone could help me figure out some different ways to write up some court scenes. I have this major drama in court (lasts like 11 days) and last thing I want is to rewrite the same scene over and over again. How can I shake things up? Any and all ideas will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Patrick Beverley · 08-27-2007, 01:51 PM

The best thing you can do is to get hold of a shortish book about legal proceedings and read about the stuff that can happen; your head will pop with ideas.

Beyond that: a fight in court? a scientist giving evidence that then gets disputed by another scientist? a witness who turns out to be insane?

HarryG · 08-27-2007, 03:29 PM

John Grisham comes to mind, the expert, but I’m sure you don’t want to copy anyone.

Court proceedings are generally boring and difficult to spice up; maybe some action behind the scenes would be appropriate?

The judge or prosecutor could be the subjects of blackmail, witnesses could change their evidence under pressure, a juror could reveal some connection with the accused, 11 days in court is a long time.

mammamaia · 08-27-2007, 06:31 PM

you could focus on the various people in the courtroom, rather than on the procedure, which would get boring after a bit... just switch from one to another of the key characters, with a bit about the 'audience' from time to time... seems to me that would keep things interesting...

and get some of grisham's and scott turow's books... they do a good job with courtroom scenes... so does a gal prosecutor-novelist, but i can't think of her name right now...

found it!... she's linda fairstein...

fjf1329 · 08-27-2007, 06:54 PM

There are many different things going on in a court scene you can use to break up the 11 days. There is jury selection and jury behavior. There will be motions presented. Witness drama, emotional testimony, expert testimony, that will be more composed and factual. Murder cases will involve the ME and forensics. They will all testify in a different manner. Physical evidence will be presented and admitted and numbered. There will be opening arguments and closing arguments.
The lawyers will be discussing strategies

Arguments as to the admissibility of evidence will lead to motions being filed

(a motion to surpress evidence)
Each day will take up some time eg. Day 1 Opening arguments
Day 2 Motions to supress evidence. Jury leaves the room etc.
The very best way to write about this type of thing is to invest a couple of days and attend a trial or two. Reading is fine but first hand experience is better. If this is any help, feel fee to pm.

lin · 08-27-2007, 07:48 PM

I would say your best bet is to use a POV or several of people other than the ones we generally see, DA, counsel, witness, etc.

There's a bailff standing there, bored. These guys can tel you stories about trials for HOURS, believe me. And also, if one of your people in the trial is incarcerated, they can tell you a lot about that person just from bringing them in from the holding cell.

There's a court reporter there. Believe it or not they go so mechanical that they are transcribing without paying much attention to their hands and follow the trial...and are another bunch that can fill your head with commentary.

The clerk sits there with nothing to do but hand and receive papers before and after. Also have stories to tell.

Those are the easy one. Is there a reporter there? How about an old wino who's slipped in from the cold but appreciates a little drama?

I think a skillful writer could easily stitch together a tapestry of observations with "editorial comment" from a number of POV's and create something that's far from boring...and not cribbed from Grisham or Perry Mason or whoever.
Christ if you're gonna crib, crib from Night Court.

CaptainFreedom · 08-28-2007, 12:48 AM

Aren't courts open to the public? You could sit through a couple trials or hearings and I bet you'll get some ideas. You'd have to find something halfway interesting though. I can imagine most of the time it's about speeding tickets and bad checks.

As far as looking at other books that are similar, I would recommend the opposite. You don't want their descriptions and plots to keep popping into your head when you're writing .

CF

ClancyBoy · 08-28-2007, 03:26 AM

Write about the interesting things that happened during the eleven days. If nothing interesting happens, skip them.

Are you actually asking for advice on how to fill space?

CelticCricket · 08-30-2007, 09:04 AM

In a nutshell:
My court scenes are about a guy who will stop at nothing to try and win his ex-lover back by attempting to murder her husband. All goes wrong, so they take him to court to get him out of their lives forever. Also, the lives of 3 innocent children are at stake.

My court scenes are split up like this:

Day 1- Opening Arguments
Day 2- Sheldon Takes the Stand
Day 3- The Housekeeper Witness
Day 4- The Family Friend
Day 5- Ivy's Diagnosis

etc., etc., etc.

So all I would like to do is find ways to shake up the different characters time on the stand. That way it isn't the same boring question = answer stuff. Yes, those are each a chapter of their own and I do have non-trial scenes thrown in there too.

As for the POV... It would be okay to see things through the "witness's" eyes just for the duration of their questioning? Or should I stick with seeing and hearing through the 2 main characters?

As for me sitting in on a trial or anything... It won't happen here in my little county. All that is basically reported are thefts, speeding tickets, delinquent payments, and anything else minor. Nothing exciting happens here. lol.

smilinghelps · 08-30-2007, 09:43 AM

I don't know if you'll have enough to fill chapters for every day in court, or have enough court for each day. You can have opening arguments and witness testimony and evidence presented in one day. Each lawyer will get the opportunity to present his case first. Then the judge can call a recess (opening arguments could be 1/2 hour-1 hour each sometimes--even longer in complicated cases.) But I'm assuming your character is being charged with attempted murder, stalking type charges? There's not a lot of evidence to present or defend. Either he has an alibi or he doesn't. There's forensic evidence or there isn't--and an explanation for it, if it exists.

I would outline what the charge is, what the evidence is, who the witnesses are and what questions are going to be asked (and the answers). I would keep the POV that goes throughout the story from an observational standpoint. Describe the beads of sweat or the handkerchief that's being twisted by the witness/defendant, whomever.

I think that your story will move much smoother if you don't weigh it down with days and days worth of court testimony and long descriptions. You can give a general statement for many witnesses like: Mary, Alice and Gertrude's testimony all supported the defenses case that Mr Smith was in fact in the office during the hours in question and couldn't possibly have been where he is accused of being. Therefore helping his defense further which scares Jane that he may be free to come after her and her children again.

That could be even more affective than reading pages and pages of testimony from those three witnesses.

Hope that makes sense and helps you a bit. Let us know how you make out.

lin · 08-30-2007, 11:06 AM

It's worth sitting through the calendar even at a rinkydink court. You learn a lot about the way people talk and act, even if on a small scale.

As I said earlier, you'd be smart to shift POV around. This doesn't have to be some jarring gearshift (unless you moving out of first person) You just start telling the story looking over a different pair of shoulders.

Dean Smalls didn't much care for the way the DA looked at him. He was down here, missing work on a heavy day, just to help out "the state", like they kept saying, and this guy was treating him like a criminal. He frowned at the prosecutor and decided to address all his answers to the judge.

This one's a winner, all right, Rosemary decided. She sat as rigidly as always, only her fingers buzzing around the keys as she took the whole shebang down. Bet this guy ends up getting challenged, she thought. Listen to him, "I didn't really know who it was until I heard her speak." Like somebody else in this town drives a green Pacer.

He did it. No doubt in Jenkin's mind. He handled criminals all day, dragging their pampered asses in and out, taking them to pee, telling them to shut the hell up and put out their cigarettes. You want to know who's guilty, ask the bailiffs, not the jury. We see them back here in the holding cells, pinned up like animals. Where they belong. And this guy definitely belongs.

See what I mean. You bring in a fresh voice and can edge your narrative over to the way they talk...and bring in insights to the trial, reliable or otherwise. And each new POV has it's own furniture and baggage to add detail, humor, pathos, whatever you want to provide some sideshow trimmings and break up the trudge through procedure.

Also, notice how law shows on TV keep cutting to chambers or offices and whatnot?

CaptainFreedom · 08-30-2007, 12:49 PM

How about mixing up the timeline? Start in the court scenes and break it up with flashbacks that go further and further back.

That way you can make the guy seem totally guilty, then when the flashbacks go far enough back, the reader finds out that it was really Colonel Mustard with the rope!!!

On second thought, that might be a little bit cheesy. I smell Cracker Barrel.

CF

CelticCricket · 08-30-2007, 01:04 PM

Okay thanks for the suggestions. I'll see what I can do and how I can shake things up a bit. Wooohooo! Love ya, guys! Gettin' me all excited all over again about my novel.