I had previously finished the mock-biography of a serial killer. The killer was a teenaged sociopath who let it go to the courtroom stage just for the fun of the drama, then plead guilty. But after looking over it again, I realize there's no reason for her to not want to push the whole thing further by going through the entire court process. Which now means there's a whole new section of legal processes I need to research. Specifically I need a decent overview of the practical process. Especially how long the process would take, as the protagonist is pregnant and I need to know how much the pregnancy will affect the MC at what points. It would also be interesting to know if pregnancy would affect the MC's ability to be a star witness (like if the defending lawyer would claim she's not a reliable witness due to hormones). I will note that the serial killer on defense has already admitted her crimes to the MC on tape, although neither a member of law enforcement nor her lawyer were in the room (the latter was by the killer's choice). If there's anyone with some experience in this area, please let me know. Admittedly I spent most of my research during the original writing of the story on murder methods (I swear to god I'm on a government list somewhere) so this is an uphill battle. But I really do want to explore this area. I'm sure it will provide a lot of insight into both protagonist and antagonist. I just need to know what the whole thing will look like.
Where's your story taking place? I have experience with some court processes, but only in Canada, and Canada follows Great Britain's legal system which is different than pretty much the rest of the world.
What about contacting a law school professor where your story takes place, who teaches that specialty? I always prefer interviewing someone when researching.
America, specifically Pennsylvania (as they still have the death penalty). And the US can be a headache in itself, as each state can have slightly different proceedings. xP There's an idea. I'm not sure if a professor would be too eager to talk to an aspiring author, but there's no harm in sending an email.
go sit in the public gallery for a trial or two, talk to some lawyers, read books that deal with court actions (Mark Giminez, Michael Connolly, John Grisham etc), read the transcripts of trials (mostly available on line)
At this point, the first option is not an option with my schedule. But the second two are great ideas. Thanks!
Actually, most people are surprisingly generous with information for aspiring authors. I do a lot of my research via interviews, and I've never been turned down. Even people whose schedules are too crazy for a formal interview will give me ten minutes or so on the phone when they see I've researched the subject and aren't wasting their time.
I would add a cautionary note: don't rely on something portrayed in fiction, even by Grisham, who is a lawyer, because you have no way of knowing how much has been fictionalized. As it is, any courtroom scene in fiction has to be a significantly condensed version of reality. So, it's best if you understand the way it actually works, and then condense where you need to condense. Talking to lawyers is a good idea. Reporting for jury duty is another way to get an up-close-and-personal with the process. Some jurisdictions still allow people to serve on a volunteer basis. One other thought - Writers Digest has an online Mystery Writers Conference, which includes a section on legal proceedings. I found it very helpful.