Any 'legal experts' here? A question about the Derek Chauvin trial in Minnesota

[left-of-center2012]

When the TV camera shows the defense table, Chauvin is sitting there with a yellow legal pad on the table and he is writing on the pad.
It appears he is writing on it all through the trial.

Sometimes he's sitting there with the pen 'poised' above the pad,
but not writing anything.

What's he doing?

I think I heard or read some years ago that attorneys have the defendant do that so they appear involved in the trial
as opposed to just sitting there.

[LAS14]

1. Seems to me it would be expected for him to be making notes about...

... things to tell his attorney in "rebuttal" to what he's hearing?

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. I am not a criminal lawyer but this appears to be a defense trick to mislead the jurors

The concept is that this keeps the jurors from focusing on the defendants reactions to testimony by giving the defendant something to do while listening to damaging testimony

[Ocelot II]

6. Since you're *not* a criminal lawyer, you don't know what defendants do.

It's not a trick; he's writing down comments and questions, including info he knows and that his lawyer might use on cross-examination.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

7. Several criminal defense attorneys on MSNBC has made the same obseration

Paul Butler and others have made this same observation

[qazplm135]

8. Sigh

No it's not a defense trick.
It has many purposes.

The accused has access to information that might help an attorney

It gives the accused control.over something in the proceedings that will determine the rest of his or her life

It keeps the accused focused and limits outbursts or facial expressions or even appearing bored or uninterested.

None of that is a "trick"

[pwb]

3. He writes I am Fucked over and over.

.

[MineralMan]

4. Mostly, it's usually the defendant writing down questions.

The defense attorney needs to be listening to the testimony, so writing keeps the defendant from interrupting that.

[Ocelot II]

5. Of course he's taking notes, and of course he's involved in his trial,

not just pretending. His ass is on the line; he could get 10-40 years in prison, which is an especially unpleasant place for police officers.

[Treefrog]

9. We were watching and noticed that he always seemed to be writing at the VERY bottom of the pad.

Finally we saw him writing at the top, but it’s odd. Always seems to be at the bottom.

[ChoppinBroccoli]

10. I Always Set My Clients Up With A Pen And Paper

Many times witness testimony spurs a thought that they need to convey to you (their attorney), and it's important that I hear the witnesses' testimony. I can't have them in my ear while I'm trying to listen, so I always tell them to write it down and slide it over to me.

[left-of-center2012]

11. In the Chauvin case ...

He is writing continuously, page after page after page, non-stop.

[Faux pas]

12. I

guess it's better than him sitting there acting like he's pretending like he gives a shit.