Shane Seaton and Judith Taylor Receive Favorable Jury Verdict
On September 24, 2003, Judy Taylor and I, under the supervision of Professor John Francis, represented a client of the Washburn Law Clinic in a jury trial in Shawnee County District Court. Our client was charged with two misdemeanor offenses which carried a possible jail sentence.
The case presented difficult client counseling issues as well as challenging pretrial negotiations. In talking with the client the day before trial, he asked me, "So you've done quite a few of these?", referring to the trial the next day. I informed him that this would be Judy's and my first trial, but that we had spent numerous hours of preparation with Professor Francis and were confident in our readiness for the next day. He didn't seem reassured until after we completed jury selection. We took his comment, "Dude, you rock," as a sign of his faith in us.
During the trial, we were confronted with some complex issues pertaining to discovery, admission of evidence, and even an unexpected "Perry Mason moment" during cross examination of a witness. At the close of the prosecution's case, we were granted a judgment of acquittal on the first count of the complaint. In the end, the jury found our client not guilty on the remaining count. The respect and admiration we received from the client were truly remarkable. The feeling at that moment made all the hours of preparation worthwhile.
Preparing with Professor Francis provided the confidence that made me actually feel comfortable at times during the trial. Professor Francis was so thorough in our preparation that very little during the trial seemed to come as a surprise. This jury trial and the process of working with Professor Francis will be the most valued experience that I take from law school.
