The defense attorney was pushing her buttons.
One by one he was getting her irritated.
He was doing it intentionally.
I knew his strategy.
I used it personally when I was a defense attorney starting out my legal career.
This was a wrongful death case.
Her husband had died.
We claimed it was because a doctor violated the basic standards of medical care and was negligent.
We claimed that we were more likely right than wrong that what the doctor did was improper and careless.
The defense attorney was accusing her.
The defense attorney argued with her.
The defense attorney ridiculed the fact that she brought a lawsuit.
He made her cry.
He had no remorse.
But something remarkable happened when he made her cry and mocked her at the same time.
My client's tears turned into anger.
She became furious.
She became outraged.
She started screaming.
At the defense attorney.
She was pointing her finger.
At the defense attorney.
She was yelling.
At the defense attorney.
I thought she was going to get up from the table and strangle this guy.
After we took a break and things settled down, the defense attorney realized he made a big mistake.