Legal Definitions - overtry

Definition: Overtry is a verb used to describe when a trial lawyer spends too much time, effort, and resources on exploring small details in a lawsuit. This often results in presenting more evidence than the fact-trier can handle, which gives the adversary an opportunity to dispute the small details and gain an advantage.

1. The lawyer overtried the case by presenting too many witnesses and documents, which made it difficult for the jury to follow the main arguments.

2. The defense attorney accused the prosecution of overtrying the case by presenting irrelevant evidence that only confused the jury.

These examples illustrate how overtrying a case can be detrimental to a lawyer's argument. By presenting too much evidence, the fact-trier (jury or judge) can become overwhelmed and lose sight of the main arguments. This can give the adversary an opportunity to dispute the small details and weaken the overall case.