[GRAPHIC: The Law Office of Meczyk Goldberg A Firm of Trial Lawyers 312.445.9032 www.MeczykGoldbergLaw.com 111 West Washington Street, Suite 1025 Chicago, IL 60602]
RALPH MECZYK: When I walk into a courtroom, I want to be on top of everything. I try to anticipate everything. You have to think about what can go wrong and prepare for that.
DARRYL GOLDBERG: The only way to be successful or win a case is to make sure you're prepared. We have a saying around here. There's three ways to win a case. Preparation, preparation and preparation.
ELSTER RATLIFF: I could have spent the rest of my life in prison. The charge carried a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 40. We went to court and a jury exonerated me. The questioning of the prosecution's witnesses was extremely thorough.
RALPH MECZYK: A witness has his own agenda. When he gets on that witness stand during cross examination, he's not going to want to answer my questions.
[GRAPHIC: drawing of judge and attorney]
RALPH MECZYK: So it is really, really relentless preparation for that cross examination. Because cross examination to me is really everything. Because you have a person who's going to get up on that witness stand and he's going to want to put your client in prison for the rest of his life.
ELSTER RATLIFF: When he presented our side of it, to me there was no question that the verdict was not guilty.
RALPH MECZYK: The other side is prepared. You have to meet them and you have to exceed them.
[GRAPHIC: The Law Office of Meczyk Goldberg A Firm of Trial Lawyers 312.445.9032 www.MeczykGoldbergLaw.com 111 West Washington Street, Suite 1025 Chicago, IL 60602]
