The Jonathan Cruz case was hastily investigated by authorities, but many questions remain.

Come behind the curtain with private investigator Sheila Wysaki as she uncovers the truth about

what happened to Jonathan. This is without warning. In this episode we are going to focus on one of the most critical moments in any trial, the opening statement.

The opening statement is where attorneys have the first opportunity to captivate the jury, set the stage for the case, and outline their

arguments. You will hear Tom Shaw while he reads his opening statement.

Danielle will read Andrew G's opening statement for Brenda Lazaro Kelly.

Join me and listen to the inner workings of the judicial system.

Here is Tom Shaw and myself talking about opening statements.

The reason that the opening statement is important is that what I like to do is I like to give a roadmap of where we're going because a jury really doesn't know how a lawsuit

works out. All they know is they get evidence, they give a verdict.

Sometimes they don't even know that. So what I like to do is I like to give them an idea of what's coming up.

Try to summarize to the extent I want to give out information at that point, what I think the evidence will show and then make no arguments because I haven't

I haven't earned the right to make an argument yet

because I haven't presented any evidence and typically people have a negative impression

plaintiff's lawyers so until I do something or present evidence and not tell them what to believe, but let the evidence show them the obvious and people don't

like to be told what to think, so I try to avoid telling them what to think.

Oftentimes, the haces aren't about facts because most of the facts are this are you know both sides agree on.

It's putting the facts together and drawing inferences from them that is the difference between the two cases, the plaintiff's case and the defense case.

What's the most important component of talking to a jury?

Well, to me, it's credibility and believability.

And if you're arguing before you've presented anything, then you're setting yourself up for jurors not to believe you.

And you really don't want to do that

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