Do TLC’s Cross-Examination Methods Really Make a Difference? An Alaska Case Study

Public defender and TLC graduate Regan Williams spent the last two weeks of January in Bethel, Alaska, trying a homicide case with Andrew Dunmire. Their client, a young Native Alaskan, had shot an unarmed man with a high-powered rifle. Regan’s role included cross-examination of a young man who witnessed the conflict which led up to the shooting. Regan had no opportunity to interview this young man before trial, so his preparation for this cross-examination followed TLC methods of reversing roles with the witness to explore the witness’ motivations. Thus Regan was ready to question this witness from a place of understanding the pressures the witness felt in his community. Under Regan’s questions, the witness admitted that the deceased attacked the defendant before being thrown out of the house – and that even after the defendant fired a warning shot, the deceased charged right at the defendant, with an obvious intent to do as much harm as possible.

Regan and his co-counsel then cross-examined an array of experts in DNA, ballistics and pathology. Regan used TLC methods throughout this trial – as he does with every trial – and his co-counsel delivered a perfect final argument. In the end, the jury returned a verdict acquitting their client on all counts. Regan attributes this wonderful outcome to two things: excellent work by his co-counsel, and the powerful tools he received from Trial Lawyers College for his own witness examinations.

TLC methods can help you, too, obtain trial outcomes that feel unlikely.

Regan will join other TLC instructors and graduates in presenting TLC’s Constellation Regional on cross-examination March 27-29 at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage. Register for the Anchorage, Kansas City, and Santa Fe seminars today – sessions are filling up quickly!