opening statement

An attorney’s opening statement to the jury (or judge in a bench trial) is not evidence, and is intended to be a forceful and persuasive summary of the case.

In Alaska, as in other jurisdictions, an attorney's opening statement to the jury, or to the judge in a bench trial, is not considered evidence. It is intended to provide a roadmap of what the attorney believes the evidence will show during the trial. The opening statement is the attorney's opportunity to outline the case for the jury, introduce the key facts, and set the stage for the evidence that will be presented. It is designed to be a persuasive narrative that frames the attorney's version of the story, but it is not itself subject to cross-examination or proof. Jurors and judges are instructed to base their verdicts solely on the evidence presented during the trial, not on the opening statements or closing arguments of the attorneys.

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Civil procedure