Using Moving Pictures To Build the Bridge of Empathy at Sentencing

Defenders must employ the most powerful ways to make judges understand their clients and the mitigating circumstances behind the clients' conduct. One of the most effective ways to meet this challenge is through the use of visual storytelling, specifically, the production of short documentary video presentations about the client. Doug Passon discusses the three essential ingredients of any successful sentencing documentary: a solid story, connective characters, and emotionally evocative images.