Why is your Indiana criminal defense law firm different?
Many Indiana defense lawyers say they practice criminal defense law but this firm offers ability and courtroom experience. Many people accused of a crime don’t realize that only a tiny percentage of lawyers ever try a criminal jury trial. (Many clients plead guilty at the earliest stage of the case.) Of that tiny percentage, an even smaller number have completed enough criminal trials to develop the expertise to feel entirely comfortable trying any sort of criminal case. But this is a secret in the profession – your lawyer’s ability and reputation to win at trial will often lead to plea offers not offered to less experienced trial attorneys.
A unique and effective method of cross-examination:
Mr. Garcia uses a highly unorthodox and unique cross-examination style which he has built from years of training, personal experience, and studying the scientific literature regarding how to expose liars through narrative questioning.
The standard rule for cross-examination is to only ask yes or no questions, and always know the answer prior to asking the question. While this is excellent advice for the inexperienced lawyer to follow, Mr. Garcia has found that juries do not respond well to questions answered with a yes or no. They do not write down the questions, and by the end of the trial all they have to refer to is a notebook filled with “Yes” and “No”, but without the questions giving meaning to the answer.
The Organic Method of cross-examination requires a “looping” format. That means you don’t start at the begining of a story and ask questions, but instead you take the testimony of the witness and loop back farther and father. Eventually during cross-examination, such an approach will cause a lie to expose itself from lack of detail.
It is a difficult style of cross-examination to master, and requires a close ear and sensitivity in questioning.
This technique works particularly well with children in sex offender cases, and other cases where fabrication is at issue.
Experience:
For almost 20 years, Mr. Garcia has been practicing exclusively criminal defense law, in Indiana state and federal courts. He has represented several hundred clients and tried well over 125 jury trials in jurisdictions across the State of Indiana. After a brief period in the Public Defender’s office in Marion County, he began his criminal law career as a Contract Public Defender in the Major Felony Criminal Courts of Marion County. He successfully tried the vast majority of his cases. As a private criminal defense lawyer, he has tried a variety of cases including: murder, rape, robbery, burglary, child molesting, drug dealing, drug possession, driving while intoxicated resulting in death, driving while intoxicated, habitual traffic offender, marijuana possession, probation violation, and other cases.
During his career as a criminal defense attorney, he has developed individualized strategies and trial techniques to cope with distinctive characteristics of virtually every crime. Through extensive self-education in the areas of Medical Terminology, and Child Psychology, Mr. Garcia has developed a particular expertise in the cross-examination and questioning of expert medical witnesses and of children in battery, neglect and sex crime cases involving children.
This expertise has proven invaluable in cases where defendants are accused of Battery on a Child, Child Molesting, and Murder cases.
Luther T. Garcia completed advanced trial training for criminal defense attorneys at the National Criminal Defense College in Macon, Georgia in 1997, and later at the Indiana Trial Practice Institute. After concentrating his practice to criminal defense work, he has dedicated extra training and education towards refining his criminal trial skills. He has developed the special expertise needed to effectively handle a criminal case from pre-charge situations, trial, appeal, post conviction relief, and sentence modifications.
Based on his reputation for excellence as a criminal defense attorney, he was voted by his peers to the Indiana Public Defender Council Board of Directors in 2013.
Mr. Garcia has been teaching criminal defense trial skills and specific subjects such as Evidence, Opening Statements, and Sentencing at legal education seminars across the State of Indiana. In addition to seminars, Mr. Garcia has been a guest lecturer at Indiana University –Indianapolis in the Criminal Defense Clinic by the cross-examination of an expert witness during class. In 2010, Mr. Garcia was again a guest lecturer in a presentation to the Law School class, Law and Forensic Science.
Mr. Garcia continues to stay abreast with new techniques and technology available for enhancing success in criminal jury trials. He has represented criminal defendants in Marion, Johnson, Hamilton, Hancock, Boone, Howard, Vigo, and Tippecanoe counties, but has successfully represented people from counties all over the State of Indiana, and neighboring states.
As a result, he has developed a reputation for trial expertise and competence in several cities. Mr. Garcia has represented people in criminal cases in Terre Haute, Noblesville, Carmel, Franklin, Brookville, Bloomington, Elkhart, Lafayette, Hammond, and Gary, and several other cities and counties throughout the state of Indiana.
Education:
1994 Indiana University — Indianapolis, JD
1984 Butler University, BA English
Memberships:
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers–Life Member
National Association for the Reform of Marijuana Laws — Legal Committee
American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section
Marion County Criminal Defense Bar Association
