OTLA Trial Lawyer Fall 2020

19 Trial Lawyer • Fall 2020 See Small Town p 20 Use the right technology You may be alarmed by the limited technological equipment in rural court- rooms and how it might affect your normal approach to jury presentations. Judges and their staffs would love to have newer and better equipment, but court budgets are tight. There are not many civil injury trials in small town Oregon each year. Some courts see a year go by without a single one. Court-supplied AV equipment is limited and you should not assume court staff is able to troubleshoot problems that might arise. The equip- ment is often old and seldom used. Re- markably, poster board is still preferred by lawyers who try civil cases in small town courtrooms. Pendleton’s circuit courtrooms have “Elmo machines” that allow an attorney to place a document or photograph on a flat surface and project it onto a television screen. Sometimes the television is a large one mounted on a wall. Other times, it can be an older, smaller television that is not easy for the judge and jury to see. Other old school options may include a DVD player, a chalkboard you can move around and a stand for a large notepad. Bring extra batteries as those in the remote control may be dead. Counsel tables generally have a few computer cables but they may be old. Test the equipment you plan to use dur- ing jury selection. Laptops, projectors, screens, DVD players, microphones, speakers… test all of it. Assume nothing when it comes to the locations of electri- cal outlets, computer cords, power cords, speakers and internet connectivity. Bring extension cords. If you are able to tap into a large monitor that is used for jail communications, do it. You will need to have the right cables. Judges and court staff are helpful and can let you know what audio equipment the court uses to amplify your voice and the voices of the prospective jurors. Try that out in advance. Many people need assistance with hearing and not just those 60 and older. They may have hearing loss due to gun use, ranch work and other activity around loud machines. The younger they are, the more reluctant they are to ask for the court’s headset. Make sure those who need hearing help get it. Be prepared to bring your own AV equipment to court. Do not assume the court will supply anything. Keep things simple with your AV presentations and make sure your equipment works. No matter where you are, you do not want to waste the jurors’ time and appear in- competent or unprepared because of technology problems. You will be watched When in a small town, you are in a fish bowl. Move around town assuming everyone you encounter has a family member in the jury pool or is a prospec- tive juror. This is true for time at a motel, gas station, restaurant and the court- house. Be aware of how much privacy La Grande attorney Brent Smith (l) and Hill are two OTLA members big city at- torneys can call on for help trying cases in Eastern Oregon courthouses.