“Gavel’s down, sparks are flying, and Johnnie Cochran ignites the courtroom with his fiery opening statement. This is not a trial you want to miss.”
Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Attorney Johnnie Cochran, representing Kahlil in this case. Now, you might be wondering why we’re here today. Well, let me tell you. We’re here to talk about something that affects all of us, whether we realize it or not: the state of our criminal justice system.
Kahlil’s story isn’t just about him. It’s about all of us, about what happens when justice goes off course. Kahlil was a young man with dreams and aspirations, just like many of us. But those dreams were cut short when Officer 115 took his life.
Now, I know we’re all aware of the headlines, the stories we see on the news about police brutality and injustice. But what we might not realize is just how deeply rooted these issues are in our society. It’s not just about one bad cop or one tragic incident. It’s about a system that fails to protect its citizens, especially those who are marginalized and oppressed.
That’s why we’re here today, to shine a light on the human rights situation in the United States criminal justice system. Because until we acknowledge the problems, we can’t begin to fix them.
So, as we go through this trial, I urge you to keep an open mind and consider the evidence carefully. Kahlil deserves justice, and it’s up to all of us to make sure he gets it. Thank you.
I completely agree Zaveen, I also believe that it’s not just one bad cop today. If new recruits are having the same training as officer 115, it will be 100% another bad cop and another poc murdered. Do you think training in harsher conditions will help? Do you think just having a taser will stop police brutality?
I love the dramatisation in the title, this interested me in reading it. I found this opening statement to be very powerful. The usage of the context of the book while also highlighting the importance of the justice system is done very well. And I also liked how well you were able to emulate how this lawyer would behave in this trial.
Your title is very captivating and your storytelling was very interesting as well. This is a perfect example of what an opening statement should look like and sound like. I love the seriousness of the situation and how without the details we can feel empathy towards the defendant. If I were a lawyer I would use this as a template for my opening statement. This very well puts all key points of this trial in one place
I really loved the style of writing that you chose for your writing. It was really interesting and very intriguing which just made me really invested in your story. I believe that it would be way better if it was a bit longer than it is right now.
I like how you did not just focus on the victim but other people who this case may have affected. When you say “I urge you to keep an open mind and consider the evidence carefully.” I agree because they will ignoring all the evidence to point out the negative instead of the positive.