“And who can doubt a chicken? You can’t. Chickens aren’t going to lie. Chickens have integrity.” – Scharlette Holdman, defense counsel

I wish you all Happy Holidays and a healthy and prosperous New Year. I hope your year-end is filled with warm fires, good turkey (or 12 kinds of fish), and just the right amount of family to make you think: “hey, I should hang out with my family more often!”

But before closing the books on 2014, and before piling the kids into the minivan and to head south for our family vacation, I briefly want to draw your attention to what I can only describe as one of the most brilliant courtroom tactics I have ever heard.

For the next witness, I now call to the stand, the chicken. (Please, no jokes about grilling the witness.)

You see, on my way to work the other day, I was once again listening to a podcast from This American Life.

The podcast was the annual poultry slam. The first story in the podcast discusses the use of a tic-tac-toe-playing chicken as a witness in order to discredit prior expert testimony. It’s an awesome listen.

And so, for your holiday pleasure, please listen in as the chicken prepares to take the stand.