# Lessons from Villarreal v. Texas: Defendant Testimony, Witness Preparation, and Cross-Examination

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cles-you-actually-want-to-hear-7072333/lessons-from-villarreal-v-texas-defendant-testimony-witness-preparation-and-cross-examination
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/cles-you-actually-want-to-hear-7072333/lessons-from-villarreal-v-texas-defendant-testimony-witness-preparation-and-cross-examination.md
Podcast: [CLEs You Actually Want to Hear](https://stenobird.com/podcast/cles-you-actually-want-to-hear-7072333)
Published: 2026-06-05T14:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://rss.com/podcasts/cle-you-actually-want-to-hear/2803992
Audio file: https://content.rss.com/episodes/294811/2803992/cle-you-actually-want-to-hear/2026_05_07_22_59_23_93f011bb-cbc8-4187-a2b6-30711b2bc73f.mp3
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Duration seconds: 3695

## Resource

Join Michael G. Freedman (The Freedman Firm), Prof. Vince Farhat (LMU Loyola Law School), and Cassie D. Palmer (Kendall, Brill & Kelly) for a discussion of the strategic and ethical issues that arise when a defendant testifies and faces cross-examination in a criminal trial. This program will begin with a high-level overview of the Supreme Court’s recent opinion in Villarreal v. Texas and its key holdings. It will then turn to practical decisions facing criminal practitioners: whether a defendant should testify, how to prepare a client effectively without crossing the line into coaching, and how to help a client withstand cross-examination by the prosecutor. Although rooted in criminal practice, the discussion will also address witness preparation, attorney-client consultation, and cross-examination principles that broadly resonate across trial practice. Whether you are defending a client, cross-examining a witness, or preparing a witness to face aggressive questioning, this session will offer experience-driven insights into one of the most demanding skills in the courtroom.

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## Transcript

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