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This is a surefire way to sink yourself in the eyes of the jury. Do not become inappropriately argumentative with defense counsel. Know your limitations.Īvoid being too quick to provide an answer – give your prosecutor time to object. Also, be cautious not to bite off more than you can chew or testify on matters of which you are not qualified to speak. The only time you should worry is if that becomes a repetitive answer for you. If you are asked a question to which you do not know the answer, do not be afraid to simply say, “I don’t know.” There is no need to sugarcoat that answer or dance around it, nor does saying it make you incompetent. Typically, cops will downplay these things to remain humble however, this is the only chance you have to tell the jury why they should listen to you and value your testimony. When the prosecutor asks you to qualify yourself at the beginning of direct examination, seize the opportunity to share information about your education, training, experience, certifications, awards and accomplishments. Instead, lean forward and be openly engaged in the proceedings. Avoid leaning back in the chair or taking a defensive posture. Once you take the stand, smile and acknowledge the jurors. I have a separate duty belt, boots and regalia that I keep just for court.
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If you have medals, awards or citations, wear them on your uniform. When you show up for trial, be “dressed to the nines.” Though a police uniform is far less comfortable than a suit, jurors like to see a sharp-dressed, polished and decorated officer in uniform. Luckily, I had prepared ahead of time but had I not, I would have had an uphill battle from that moment on. I once had a defense attorney challenge me to name three additional countries that use SFSTs.
#This is the police 2 investigations trial#
If that happens, your case is lost.ĭWI investigations take a lot of work so why jump through all the hoops just to blow the case at trial? Go into the trial knowing the accuracy of standardized field sobriety tests (SFSTs) and the studies that validated them because the defense may question you about this. You need to be prepared to answer any questions and be knowledgeable and confident in your answers or the jury will not give your testimony much weight. Included in that preparation are studying your case, relevant case law and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration manual. An ounce of preparation is worth a pound of cure. Make preparations for potential defense arguments and create a plan to counter them.Ī good prosecutor will be willing to spend time preparing you for trial because your testimony is the most vital piece of the puzzle. Go over the questions to be asked on direct examination. Discuss any issues or concerns you have with the case and strategize on how best to tackle them. GET PREPPEDīefore your case goes to trial, meet with the prosecutor and get adequately prepared. For the majority of cops, testifying in court on any investigation and even more so with DWI investigations, can be daunting. However, testifying in court is a great way to enhance your knowledge of the field and boost your confidence all around.