Coty Wamp

And that's one of the pros. There's pros and cons to a jury being able to ask questions. One is you know what they're thinking and you know what direction they're going in. You know what issues they're having with the case. What do they keep focusing on? There's cons as well. First of all, y'all didn't know that it was going to be such a lengthy trial.

And that's one of the pros. There's pros and cons to a jury being able to ask questions. One is you know what they're thinking and you know what direction they're going in. You know what issues they're having with the case. What do they keep focusing on? There's cons as well. First of all, y'all didn't know that it was going to be such a lengthy trial.

So you're wanting the evidence from this witness when it's not coming in through this witness, it's coming in through another witness. So jurors have a tendency to maybe get ahead of themselves. And so we're sort of wasting time. with these questions because we're going to answer these questions for you. If they can be answered, we're going to answer them, you know.

So you're wanting the evidence from this witness when it's not coming in through this witness, it's coming in through another witness. So jurors have a tendency to maybe get ahead of themselves. And so we're sort of wasting time. with these questions because we're going to answer these questions for you. If they can be answered, we're going to answer them, you know.

So there's pros and cons amongst both the defense bar and my office for jury questions. We only have one judge here who does jury questions, and that's Judge Patterson. And I think at first we were all very nervous about

So there's pros and cons amongst both the defense bar and my office for jury questions. We only have one judge here who does jury questions, and that's Judge Patterson. And I think at first we were all very nervous about

these questions because it just started two and a half years ago and he became the judge but over time it it it only probably has helped us um honestly it's not harmed us it doesn't hurt you know and sometimes there's a question that we did not think of

these questions because it just started two and a half years ago and he became the judge but over time it it it only probably has helped us um honestly it's not harmed us it doesn't hurt you know and sometimes there's a question that we did not think of

And so many of y'all's questions were asked, meaning that there's a question that we didn't think of and we didn't even know would be important, but it was for some reason. And so I think looking back, I originally was opposed to the questions. And now it doesn't it doesn't hurt us if juries like it the way that now we're hearing that juries like. like being able to ask those questions.

And so many of y'all's questions were asked, meaning that there's a question that we didn't think of and we didn't even know would be important, but it was for some reason. And so I think looking back, I originally was opposed to the questions. And now it doesn't it doesn't hurt us if juries like it the way that now we're hearing that juries like. like being able to ask those questions.

We also have a concern that we don't want a juror to use it against either party if their question's not asked. Or think that someone's hiding the ball, you know? You have a question that's really significant to you, for some reason the court doesn't ask it, Um, I wouldn't want anybody to think, well, why are they not answering the question? What are they hiding?

We also have a concern that we don't want a juror to use it against either party if their question's not asked. Or think that someone's hiding the ball, you know? You have a question that's really significant to you, for some reason the court doesn't ask it, Um, I wouldn't want anybody to think, well, why are they not answering the question? What are they hiding?

Cause that's normally just not the case at all. So we have those concerns, but overall, and this, I've never seen a jury ask as many questions as y'all ask. Yeah. There was probably a couple of times up there where I turned around and rolled my eyes. Cause I'm like,

Cause that's normally just not the case at all. So we have those concerns, but overall, and this, I've never seen a jury ask as many questions as y'all ask. Yeah. There was probably a couple of times up there where I turned around and rolled my eyes. Cause I'm like,

these questions are i can see that because some of them were very detailed some of them were so detailed and but at the end of the day it doesn't matter and it's if a juror wants those questions answered they that's great that's what's important to them and that's that's what we need to know but it is like you you spend a day with someone on the witness stand and then the jury has 29 questions so do you guys together like does everyone have to unanimously agree

these questions are i can see that because some of them were very detailed some of them were so detailed and but at the end of the day it doesn't matter and it's if a juror wants those questions answered they that's great that's what's important to them and that's that's what we need to know but it is like you you spend a day with someone on the witness stand and then the jury has 29 questions so do you guys together like does everyone have to unanimously agree

like we're gonna we can object so there were times where josh would have objected and said we don't and then the court has to decide most of them we agreed on okay most of them is very clear it's an appropriate question or not an appropriate question so many of them were going to be answered down the road and he i feel like he made that really clear like we may not answer it don't take it personal also it could be presented at a later time i think the thing that was helpful for us was because we couldn't talk about it or discuss the case throughout that was our only opportunity to

like we're gonna we can object so there were times where josh would have objected and said we don't and then the court has to decide most of them we agreed on okay most of them is very clear it's an appropriate question or not an appropriate question so many of them were going to be answered down the road and he i feel like he made that really clear like we may not answer it don't take it personal also it could be presented at a later time i think the thing that was helpful for us was because we couldn't talk about it or discuss the case throughout that was our only opportunity to

Yeah, I appreciate that. There's definitely pros and cons to questions. And for a prosecutor, it's nerve-wracking because sometimes I don't want to know what the jury's thinking. I'd rather not know what the jury's thinking. So it's nerve-wracking because there were times in that trial where he and I would walk back to the table and we'd be like, that was a bad question.

Yeah, I appreciate that. There's definitely pros and cons to questions. And for a prosecutor, it's nerve-wracking because sometimes I don't want to know what the jury's thinking. I'd rather not know what the jury's thinking. So it's nerve-wracking because there were times in that trial where he and I would walk back to the table and we'd be like, that was a bad question.