PHILADELPHIA – Defense lawyers are paid to make a client's case disappear.
But Philadelphia lawyer Steven Leventhal can make things vanish.
The 47-year-old Leventhal is a self-trained magician who sometimes practices his craft in court.
He uses dollar bills, playing cards and other tools of the trade in closing arguments. He aims to remind jurors that what we think we see might be an illusion.
A rival lawyer in a recent case asked the court to ban any such tricks. The case settled before trial. But Leventhal still objects to the motion.
He says he has the right to entertain bored jurors -- to make his point, and make the case disappear.
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