The Litigation Psychology Podcast - Episode 273 - Breaking Down the Steps to Another Defense Verdict

Steve Wood, Ph.D. is joined by trial attorney Jeremiah Byrne of Frost Brown Todd LLC to break down a recent case that resulted in a defense verdict. Jeremiah begins with an overview of the facts, explaining the allegations against the defendant and the damages sought by the plaintiff. He describes the mediation process, the plaintiff’s settlement demands, and why the case proceeded to trial.

Next, Steve and Jeremiah discuss jury selection strategy, including how Jeremiah identified potential pro-defense and pro-plaintiff jurors, developed voir dire questions, and approached strikes. He and Steve walk through key themes from opening statements, how the defense framed the case, and how the plaintiff attempted to appeal to jurors emotionally. Jeremiah details his approach to cross-examination, particularly how he addressed damaging testimony and undermined the plaintiff’s key witnesses. He explains the role of expert testimony in supporting the defense narrative and how his team handled unexpected developments during trial.

Lastly, Jeremiah shares how the jury reacted, the factors that he believes led to the defense win, and his client’s reaction to the verdict.