S ENTENCING THEORIES & S TOR YTELLING Bill Raymond, - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

S ENTENCING THEORIES & S TOR YTELLING

Bill Raymond, Assistant Federal Defender Tim Burdick, Assistant Federal Defender

What S entencing S hould Not Be

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

• Know the law
• Options Available
• Cases that S

upport Y

• ur Argument
• 18 U.S

.C. 3553(e)

• Know the S

tatistics

• Recidivism S

tatistics

• S

entencing S tatistics

• Know Y
• ur Case
• Client Hstory
• S

upporting Information/ Records

• Presentence Report
• Expert Analysis

Know Y

• ur Client’s Goals

S ENTENCING THEOR Y

• S

ummarizes the factual, emotional and legal reasons why the court should impose the sentence you want

• Tells your client’s story of mitigation,

rehabilitation, or reduced culpability, and it resolves problems and questions the j udge may have about imposing the sentence you want

F ACTUAL

• Facts Important We Introduce
• Lack of criminal record
• History of non-violence
• Takes care of family
• Other good deeds
• Facts We Must Neutralize
• Had a Gun at the Ready
• Fired four times
• Prior acts of violence
• Takes Into Account All Facts of Client’s Life

EMOTIONAL

• Tells a moving story that explains why your

client should get the sentence you are requesting.

• It makes the Judge want to give the result you

are asking for

LEGAL

• Guidelines
• Interpretation
• Deconstruction
• S

tatistical analysis

• S

tatutes

• Caselaw

RES OL VES PROBLEMS & QUES TIONS FOR JUDGE

• If I let him out, will he do it again
• If I send her to j ail, how long should I keep her

there

• How can I j ustify my sentence to the public

TELLS A S TOR Y

• No different than trial practice
• The most persuasive way to convey your message is

through a story

• The memorable way to convey your message is

through a story

• The most interesting way to convey your message is

through a story

• These principles can apply to j udges &

prosecutors the same way they apply to j urors

S TOR YTELLING AT S ENTENCING

• Know Y
• ur Audience
• Know The Elements of a Persuasive S

tory

• Know Y
• ur Tools –Telling Y
• ur Client’s S

tory

KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE

• Judge
• Prosecutor

PROS ECUTOR JUDGE ALL IN ONE

PROS ECUTOR

• Mandatory Minimums
• Personality/ Persuasive
• Ask them what they want to know/ hear
• Let them talk to people directly
• Judge

JUDGE

• Personality
• Persuasive
• Guidelines & S

tatistics

• 18 U.S

.C. 3553(a)

• S

traight Mitigation

ELEMENTS OF A PERS UAS IVE S TOR Y

• S
• lid S

tory

• Compelling Characters
• Integrated Presentation of all of the Mitigating

Evidence

• Emotionally Evocative Images

S OLID S TOR Y

• S
• lid S

tory is Unique

• S
• lid S

tory is S treamlined

• S
• lid S

tory is Moving

• S
• lid S

tory incorporates S mall S tories to tell a Big S tory

COMPELLING CHARACTERS

• Main Character – Client
• Get insight into who the client is
• Get insight into how the client interacts with others
• S

upporting Characters – People Who Know Him/ Her

• Incorporate best testimony from large groups of people
• Incorporate best testimony in a short time

INTEGRATED PRES ENTATION

• Incorporate all of your Mitigating Evidence
• Client’s S

tatement

• Witnesses S

tatements

• Records
• Experts
• Photos
• Not limited by the Federal Rules of Evidence

EMOTIONALL Y EVOCATIVE IMAGES

• Figuratively
• S

pecific, detailed stories from witnesses

• Literally
• Photos
• Videos

TELLING YOUR CLIENT’ S S TOR Y (KNOW YOUR TOOLS )

• Live Witnesses
• Photos
• Video
• S

entencing Memorandum

• Letters/ Reports/ S

tatements

LIVE WITNES S ES

• EVALUATION
• Evaluate Information Witness Provides
• Better for Live Testimony v. S

tatement v. Letter

• S

pecial Concerns with Client

• Post Trial
• Better for Live Testimony v. S

tatement v. Letter

• Expert Witnesses
• Type (Mental Health/ S

ub Abuse/ S ex Offense/ Other)

• Better for Live Testimony v. Report v. Letter
• Provide with Information/ Ammunition Necessary

LIVE WITNES S ES

• PREP

ARATION

• Always Do It
• Avoid Narratives – Do Questions and Answers
• Craft the testimony to further your theory

PHOTOS

• Pictures Give Life to Y
• ur Words
• Provide Candid S

napshots of Who Y

• ur Client is

Outside of the Courtroom

• Able to S

how Y

• ur Client Over Long Periods of Time
• More Persuasive because not produced solely for

the purpose of sentencing

VIDEOS

• Primacy
• Editing of Lay Witnesses
• Integrated Presentation
• Break up Individual Witnesses

S ENTENCING MEMORANDUM

• Primacy
• The Law
• S

tatistics

• Prime the Court for S

entencing Hearing

LETTERS / REPORTS

• No Cross
• Primacy