Inside the high-risk decision to testify in your own defense | CNN

That is the question criminal defendants face at trial. In three recent high-profile criminal trials, the defendant answered that question with a firm yes and took the stand to give their side of the story. It’s a rare, risky move – and the strategy did not result in an acquittal in any of the cases. Brendan Banfield, accused of killing his wife and another man in an elaborate scheme with the family’s au pair, was found guilty of double murder despite his testimony denying any plot. Colin Gray, the father of a teenage Georgia school shooter, was found guilty of murder and manslaughter even as he pleaded he did not have warnings about his son’s violent plans. Gerhardt Konig, the Hawaii doctor accused of trying to kill his wife on a hike, was convicted of attempted manslaughter after he claimed she attacked him first. That represented a partial victory for him, as the jury rejected a more serious attempted murder charge. The results of those cases underscore the risks and challenges of testifying in your own defense. Defense attorneys generally recommend against taking the stand, wary of subjecting a defendant to a rigorous cross-examination from the prosecution. “I don’t

Apr 25, 2026 → Apr 25, 2026