write a court scene drama
Answers
Attorney Sharla stood, and walked up to the judge, where the curious crowd behind her could also listen in. “My client has been seen holding a knife over the dead body of Jamison.” She paused to look at the man then continued even louder. “Although he is innocent.” The crowd behind her gasped. “Until proven guilty,” Sharla continued, with one finger high in the air, “Ms. Jones should know better.” With full force she slammed her hands on the opposing attorney’s desk.
Answer:
Readers love courtroom scenes because they generate natural conflict that swirls around and feeds off of human drama. As writers we know the devil is in the details but a lot of novels suffer from unrealistic or naïve depictions of courtroom procedures. To make a story ring true, the author must understand the structure of the court system, who the players are and what motivates the parties to act as they do.
Like all scenes, your legal scenes need to be authentic and understandable but they also need to be enjoyable. Boring case law quotes and pre-trial legalese will put the reader to sleep. Insert the human element in your scene. Draw on the emotions of the parties involved rather than get bogged down in precise courtroom protocol. Humor works well in courtroom scenes but it has to apply to the situation. Just before the poor guy is about to get life in prison isn't the time to crack a joke