Does Having Eclectic Lawyers Matter?
Years ago, we handled a case that hinged on an audio recording of an alleged fight. The prosecution claimed the recording captured a violent assault. Our client said the opposite. He insisted the audio was fake and the fight never happened.
We believed him. But there was a problem. How do you explain an audio recording that seems to tell a different story?
One afternoon, while reviewing the evidence, Stone River Law attorney Stephen Howard stopped the playback.
“It’s edited,” he said. “I can hear it.”
Stephen has a trained ear. He loves music and majored in it in college. While others heard a single recording, he noticed something subtle. There was a slight dip in the sound. That dip suggested an edit.
We sent the recording to a sound engineer. The expert confirmed what Stephen heard. The dip matched cell phone audio editing software. Stephen presented that evidence to the prosecutor. The felony charges were dismissed.
A similar thing happened in another case.
A police officer pulled over a man for DUI, claiming a taillight was out. Stone River Law attorney Brad Henderson watched the dash camera footage. Brad grew up working on cars and still enjoys a good project in the garage.
“That’s not a taillight,” Brad said. “That’s a decorative light. It’s not legally required.”
He was right. Because the light was not required by law, the traffic stop was illegal. The DUI case was dismissed.
Why Backgrounds Matter
You never know what will matter in a criminal case.
Sometimes it’s an understanding of music and sound. Other times, it’s knowledge of cars. Hobbies, education, and life experience can uncover details others miss. Those details can change everything.
That’s why Stone River Law values an eclectic team.
Our team brings a wide range of backgrounds, including experience with ham radio, horses, orchestras and music, gardening, firearms and shooting, cars and auto mechanics, computers, dog training, geopolitics, military science, education, animal husbandry, business, family law, sports, reading fiction and nonfiction, beekeeping, American history, commercial driving, farming, and offset printing.
The list goes on.
When a new case comes in, we don’t always know what will matter at first. But we do know this. Having a diverse, experienced team gives our clients an advantage.
Sometimes, that difference is everything.