Suite of Demonstratives Help Jury Return $38.6M Verdict in Wrongful Death Case

A lack of security at an apartment complex resulted in the fatal shooting of a Nevada Army National Guard Specialist. Two men approached Dylan Salazar in the parking lot of Sportsman’s Royal Manor apartment complex in an attempt to steal his pickup truck, then shot him and fled the scene. This complex, dubbed “The Killing Fields,” was known for its high level of crime; from Jan 2010 to May 2014, there were over 5000 incidents that resulted in calls to police. Attorney Benjamin Cloward wanted to show this in a way that would illustrate just how negligent the complex was when it came to security. He came to Focus Graphics for a solution. With the data provided, we were able to produce an animated Crime Scene System Failure Timeline mapping over 5000 incidents consisting of 63 different types of calls over this 4.5 year period. We were also in frequent contact with Mr. Cloward throughout the trial to provide new illustrations and animations as needed, like an interactive route map showing the movement of the complex’s one security guard on a single day to show that there was no way one guard on duty could handle the crime occurring within this complex. Other demonstratives were created to show daily security staffing levels, by hour, for a period of almost two years; and a photo montage of family events, like a Christmas card and graduation photos, that faded out Salazar’s image to show the loss to his family. All of these exhibits were key to helping Mr. Cloward secure a wrongful death verdict against Sportsman’s Royal Manor in the amount of $38.6 million dollars.

“Seton Claggett and Focus Graphics were instrumental in helping our team achieve a $38.6 million dollar verdict for our clients. Focus Graphics was involved from the beginning by developing a cutting-edge animation that was shown to the jurors during opening statements and continued to assist during trial by helping to develop a very effective demonstrative exhibit which was used with several of the witnesses, including the defense’s own expert security consultant.”  

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