Alton Attorney Keith Short Shares Perspective on Jury Trials After 30 Years of Experience
Keith Short works hard to help his clients, and he shared more about his life and career in a recent interview with RiverBender.com.
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ALTON - Keith Short isn’t like most attorneys.
Short, of Keith Short and Associates, P.C., in Alton, regularly tries his cases in front of a jury — and wins. He works hard for his clients to help them with injury and workers’ compensation cases. In a recent interview on “Our Daily Show!” with C.J. Nasello, Short reflected on his career and shared more about his 30 years of experience as a local attorney.
“I’ve tried probably more jury trials than anyone I know,” Short said. “I did five last year. Most lawyers don’t do five in their whole career.”
Short explained that jury trials are becoming increasingly rare. It’s much more common to settle.
As a result, Short regularly sees lawyers who have never been in the courtroom before. He encourages people to do their research when choosing an attorney, especially if they think it might go to trial.
“People don’t realize how few trials actually occur. There aren’t that many jury trials. In fact, that’s one of the concerns the courts have, is that the whole system is sort of being whittled down and whittled down to fewer and fewer,” he explained. “You see people hire lawyers and you see them on TV and that sort of thing, and it’s so uncomfortable because I know that lawyer, he’s never been in a courtroom. I know he hasn’t. Maybe once in his life.”
Because Short is often in the courtroom, he understands the needs of the jury. He knows people have work and childcare needs that make it difficult for them to serve on a jury, and he appreciates each juror’s service. He tries to select jurors who are able to participate without too much disruption in their daily lives.
“What people have to remember is, for the plaintiff, I have to get all 12 people to agree with me,” Short said. “If I have even one person who’s angry about being there, just one, then the odds of me winning are going to go way down. So we have to be very aware of people’s needs or circumstances.”
Short works closely with his clients to prepare them for a jury trial. He helps them understand the jury’s perspective and the importance of being honest and likeable.
“We tell every potential client who comes to me, it’s TLC. Jurors must trust you and like you, and then they might compensate you,” he shared. “But if you don’t tell the truth, you might as well just go home. The moment you get caught in a lie, they turn on you. And they should turn on you, because this is serious stuff. You took an oath, and you better tell the truth.”
As a lawyer who primarily works in injury and workers’ comp, Short often has clients who have been seriously impacted. Sometimes, people come to him and say that it’s not about the money, but rather the principle.
While Short understands this perspective, he encourages his clients to think about the money. Money is the only way to “solve” the problem, as much as it can be solved, so Short is determined to help his clients walk away as satisfied as possible.
“Money is the only remedy, and that is all we can do, so that is what we must ask for,” he said. “And this is a significant injury, so the amount has to be significant.”
Short encourages people to reach out to his firm if they have any questions or think he might be a good fit for their case. For more information about Keith Short and Associates, P.C., visit their official website at SILTrial.com.
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