Public defender and TLC graduate Regan Williams spent the last two weeks of January in Bethel, Alaska, trying a homicide case with Andrew Dunmire. Their client, a young Native Alaskan, had shot an unarmed man with a high-powered rifle. Regan’s role included cross-examination of a young man who witnessed the conflict which led up to the shooting. Regan had no opportunity to interview this young man before trial, so his preparation for this cross-examination followed TLC methods of reversing roles with the witness to explore the witness’ motivations. Thus Regan was ready to question this witness from a place of understanding the pressures the witness felt in his community. Under Regan’s questions, the witness admitted that the deceased attacked the defendant before being thrown out of the house – and that even after the defendant fired a warning shot, the deceased charged right at the defendant, with an obvious intent to do as much harm as possible.

Regan and his co-counsel then cross-examined an array of experts in DNA, ballistics and pathology. Regan used TLC methods throughout this trial – as he does with every trial – and his co-counsel delivered a perfect final argument. In the end, the jury returned a verdict acquitting their client on all counts. Regan attributes this wonderful outcome to two things: excellent work by his co-counsel, and the powerful tools he received from Trial Lawyers College for his own witness examinations.