Jury Trials

When people think of lawyers, most think of courtroom lawyers. However, one estimate places the number of trial lawyers among all attorneys at about 5%. Among lawyers who call themselves “litigators,” most are not really trial lawyers – some perform research, some help with drafting documents, and others act as the trial assistant, often called “second chair” at a trial. Even among actual trial lawyers, some do not try cases before juries. Trials before the judge only (no jury) are called “Court Trials.”

Most people loathe jury duty; perhaps they do not hate actual service on a jury, but they hate the process of herding crowds of people into the courthouse and waiting a day or two for the judge and the lawyers to filter down to a jury. Trial lawyers know that most people are not thrilled to be called to serve on a jury. That only adds to a trial lawyer’s appreciation of jurors. Juries are the ultimate audience to determine the merits of the client’s case. Jury service is fundamental to the optimal functioning of a free country.

Riverside County Eminent Domain Lawyer David Hubbard’s career has followed the natural path of a trial lawyer. His first job as a lawyer was as a research attorney for judges at the San Bernardino County Superior Court. Two main takeaways from that job: Judges handle a high volume of cases and research attorneys are critical to judges. After that, David practiced many years in civil litigation in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Riverside, doing the many things a litigator does as he works his way toward trial responsibility (client meetings, research efforts, collecting evidence, taking depositions, handling pre-trial hearings, assisting with trial preparation and sitting as second chair to the lead trial attorney). This process from first year attorney to trial attorney covered many years. Clients have a strong preference for an experienced attorney handling their case at trial, and David always understood that.

When people hire David Hubbard, they are getting an attorney with three decades of experience in civil litigation, two decades of trial experience, and vast experience with jury trials. Jury trials are much more difficult than Court trials. Much more time and effort is expended in jury trials. There is much more paperwork, there are more pre-trial battles focused on how the case is presented to the jury.

After a jury trial, the judge often asks the jury if they are willing to stay around for a few minutes because the lawyers hope to hear the jurors’ impressions of the case. Juries have offered widespread praise of Mr. Hubbard, saying he “made the case interesting,” “is relatable,” “had a good rapport with the judge,” “is respectful and appreciative of the jury” and “made me want to help his client.” David Hubbard is not a wooden intellect – he tries to make the jury experience entertaining and, importantly to most jurors, efficiently presented. David often advises his experts “You and I find every little detail compelling, but the jury won’t. Stick to the core of your presentation, don’t wander off into meandering lectures.”

Hubbard Law Firm is unique among Riverside County Eminent Domain law firms: Clients will have one attorney handling everything. Phone calls are made and received by David Hubbard. Client meetings, research, letters, negotiations, court hearings, trial preparation and trial will all be handled exclusively by David Hubbard. Few other Riverside County Eminent Domain Lawyers can say that.