Call Now For A Case Evaluation
Call Now For A Case Evaluation
The legal world lost a true icon on August 13, 2025, with the passing of Gerry Spence at the age of 96. Known for his flamboyant courtroom style—complete with fringe jackets and a folksy Wyoming demeanor—Spence was more than a celebrated trial lawyer who, as legend has it, never lost a criminal case before a jury. He was a revolutionary thinker who transformed the practice of law by introducing psychodrama, a therapeutic technique rooted in psychology, to the art of trial preparation and advocacy.
Spence’s career spanned over seven decades, during which he secured landmark victories in high-profile cases, from defending Randy Weaver in the Ruby Ridge standoff to winning a $10.5 million verdict for the family of Karen Silkwood against corporate negligence. But his most enduring legacy lies in founding the Trial Lawyers College (now associated with the “Gerry Spence Method”), where he pioneered the integration of psychodrama—a method developed by Jacob Levy Moreno for group psychotherapy—into legal training. By employing role-playing, scene reenactments, and emotional exploration, Spence taught lawyers to uncover the human “story” behind every case, fostering empathy, authenticity, and persuasive storytelling in the courtroom. This approach not only helped attorneys connect with juries on a deeper level but also encouraged personal self-discovery, turning rigid legal arguments into compelling narratives that resonated with real human experiences.
In this blog post, we’ll explore how Spence’s innovative application of psychodrama continues to influence modern trial practice, offering timeless lessons for lawyers seeking to blend psychology with advocacy in pursuit of justice.
As a dedicated DUI trial lawyer with over 30 years of experience fighting charges in Gwinnett County and across Metro Atlanta, I’ve learned that winning DUI cases requires more than just legal expertise—it’s about uncovering the human story behind the arrest. At George C. Creal, Jr., P.C., we specialize in aggressive, personalized defense, challenging every aspect of the state’s case to secure dismissals, reductions, or acquittals. One innovative approach I try to integrate into my practice is psychodrama. Psychodrama is not as the name would imply acting crazy on stage or in the courtroom. But rather, Psychodrama is a psychological discipline that uses tools like role reversal, doubling, and reenactment to build empathy, reveal hidden details, and craft compelling stories that regular people like jurors can relate.
In DUI cases, where arrests often involve subjective evidence (opinion versus fact) like field sobriety tests or breathalyzers, psychodrama helps humanize clients, develop a story for the trial, expose flaws in the prosecution’s story, uncover potential error in scientific testing and evidence, and creating emotional connection with judges and juries. Below, I’ll outline how these tools apply across key phases of a DUI case in Gwinnett County and elsewhere in Georgia, drawing from real-world applications in criminal defense. Whether it’s a first-offense DUI less safe, a legal limit DUI (per se DUI charge) or a felony DUI with priors, this method can turn the tide by focusing on authenticity, feeling and emotional truth.
The intake phase is where I first meet clients, often overwhelmed by shame or denial after a Gwinnett County arrest. Psychodrama tools like doubling and role reversal are essential here to break through barriers and gather critical details.
For example, using doubling, I or a colleague voices the client’s unspoken thoughts during their recounting of the stop—such as “I’m terrified this will ruin my career.” This amplifies hidden emotions, revealing factors like prescription meds interacting with alcohol or fatigue mimicking impairment, which can form the basis of a defense. Role reversal lets the client step into the officer’s shoes, highlighting potential biases in the arrest report and fostering empathy that strengthens our bond.
This phase sets the foundation, often uncovering mitigation like underlying addiction or trauma, leading to early plea negotiations or motions to suppress.
In discovery, we review evidence like dashcam footage and test results, then challenge them in motion hearings. Psychodrama’s reenactment (surplus reality) and mirroring tools are game-changers for dissecting probable cause, field sobriety evaluations (FSEs), and testimony from toxicologists or breath test operators.
During preparation, we reenact the traffic stop using props to simulate conditions—poor lighting or uneven roads that invalidate FSEs like the walk-and-turn. This reveals inconsistencies, such as an officer’s improper instructions, which I argue in hearings to suppress or exclude evidence. For blood or breath tests, role reversal with the toxicologist helps anticipate cross-examination, exposing flaws like machine calibration errors or method validation.
Mirroring lets clients observe their reenacted behavior, ensuring their account aligns with video evidence. In Gwinnett courts, this has led to suppressed tests and dismissed cases by vividly demonstrating lack of probable cause.
Jury selection (voir dire) in a DUI trial is about finding impartial jurors who can empathize with human error. Here, sociometry and social atom tools map group dynamics and relationships to uncover biases.
I use sociometric exercises subtly in questioning—asking jurors about their views on alcohol to “map” attractions or repulsions to themes like responsibility. The social atom helps diagram a juror’s personal network (e.g., family history with DUIs), revealing hidden prejudices. Role reversal prepares me to probe deeper, ensuring we seat a jury open to our narrative of a one-time mistake rather than willful negligence.
This phase is crucial in Gwinnett, where diverse juries respond to stories of redemption, often shifting the trial’s momentum.
Opening statements frame the case, and psychodrama’s soliloquy and scene-setting tools help craft a vivid, emotional hook without over-dramatizing.
Drawing from client reenactments, I soliloquize inner thoughts in my statement of the client, officer or crime lab expert. This humanizes the defendant and reveals incomplete investigations, potential for carelessness and error in the lab, countering the prosecution’s focus on impairment. Scene-setting paints the arrest context—stress from work or family—making jurors see the bigger picture.
In DUI openings, this tool shifts focus from guilt to reasonable doubt, especially on subjective tests.
Cross-examination is where we dismantle the state’s witnesses, like officers or experts. Role reversal and doubling prepare razor-sharp questions by simulating confrontations.
Pre-trial, the client reverses roles with the breath test operator, voicing potential doubts about the device’s accuracy, which informs my cross to highlight maintenance lapses. Doubling amplifies the witness’s unspoken hesitations during rehearsal, revealing inconsistencies in FSE administration. These strategies help separate the state’s witnesses from the jury.
In Gwinnett trials, this has discredited testimony, creating doubt on probable cause and leading to acquittals.
Closings tie everything together, and psychodrama’s empty chair and mirroring tools ensure an authentic, resonant summary.
Using empty chair dialogues from prep, I address the participants on the street and in the investigation, arrest and blood or breath testing. Mirroring reflects the evidence back to jurors, showing how the state’s case doesn’t align with reality.
This emotional close in DUI cases emphasizes rehabilitation over punishment, often swaying verdicts.
If convicted, sentencing focuses on mitigation. Psychodrama excels here with social atom and psychodramatic letter writing to map life contexts and express remorse.
We diagram the client’s social atom—family, job, community ties—to show low recidivism risk, supporting arguments for probation or DUI school. Letter writing, role-reversing with affected parties, creates heartfelt allocutions that have reduced sentences in Gwinnett, like avoiding jail for first-timers.
Psychodrama’s power in DUI defense lies in its ability to reveal truths and underlying emotional connections that facts alone miss, leading to better outcomes. If you’re facing DUI charges in Gwinnett County, contact George C. Creal, Jr., P.C. for a free consultation. We’re available 24/7 at (770) 961-5511 or visit www.georgialawyer.com. Let’s fight for your future.
George C. Creal, Jr. is a trial lawyer dedicated to DUI defense in Georgia. This post is for informational purposes and not legal advice.
George Creal is a trial lawyer who has been practicing law
in the Metro-Atlanta area for over 27 years. George brings
a broad range of experience to the courtroom. Read More