It was 2007, and in the largest court case I had been involved with up until then, our client faced criminal charges that could lead to 20 years in jail. The defendant was facing a total loss of freedom, loss of his family, savings, and reputation. Everything was on the line for him.
Obviously, he was stressed. Our job was to help him and his attorney get clarity on the evidence.
During the 6 week trial, the attorney on the other side referred to me as “… that wedding and bar mitzvah video guy”. It was the attorney’s attempt to diminish my expertise and the value of forensics clarification on the evidence. A little secret – his statement was true, in a way, since it was only the 2nd court case in my career! However, I knew I had the video and audio experience and expertise needed to do the job, as you can see in one example directly below.
Attorney Michael Schwartz requested of the jury in his astounding closing argument, “Please let the defendant, a caged bird, to be set free to return to his family, to return to his life.” The jury deliberated for only two hours and came back with a verdict in my client’s favor.
This high profile case propelled NCAVF into the national field of audio and video forensics experts, brought us to the attention of attorneys who became clients, and helped me decide to focus on growing this business.