Prejudicial closing arguments can get a verdict overturned on appeal.

Evidence

Closing Arguments Closing arguments provide attorneys their last chance to sway the jury. An effective closing argument “pulls together the disparate threads of evidence and weaves them into a coherent and compelling whole” that leads to a favorable verdict. Even though rhetorical flourishes and emotional appeals alone are unlikely to win a case, closing arguments offer a unique opportunity for eloquent advocacy, and the most effective attorneys can turn a closing argument into a rhetorical tour de force. But there are limits here as well, and the use of prejudicial material can result in the verdict being overturned on appeal. — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 858

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to appellate review of trial conduct and procedural fairness. — connects to: A judge’s post-trial findings can foreclose a losing party’s appeal. — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action , 2899; Large jury verdicts are routinely reduced or overturned on appeal — Jonathan Harr, A Civil Action, 2735; A victory before a conservative trial court bred misplaced faith in appeal. — Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster, From the Ground Up: Environmental…, 467 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• A rejected jury instruction can become the basis for an appeal. #exemplifies (0.80) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1403
• A victory before a conservative trial court bred misplaced faith in appeal. #exemplifies (0.78) — Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster, From the Ground Up, 467
• Large jury verdicts are routinely reduced or overturned on appeal #expands (0.74) — Jonathan Harr, A Civil Action, 2735
• Evidence rulings by trial judges are appealable by either party #expands (0.73) — G. Alan Tarr, Judicial Process and Judicial…, 1387
• A judge’s post-trial findings can foreclose a losing party’s appeal. #complicates (0.72) — , Harr Jonathan - A Civil Action, 2899