Verres' strategy was to draw out the proceedings to the next year when Hortensius, Verres' defending advocate, would be one of the consuls, and one member of the Metelli family, who were supporters of Verres, would be the other consul and another the praetor presiding over the court where Verres was to be tried.
Cicero gathered his evidence more quickly than anyone expected despite the efforts of yet another Metellus, who succeeded Verres as governor of Sicily. Nevertheless, because of the great number of festivals coming up, during which the courts would be closed, Cicero had to adopt an unusual strategy in court. The normal procedure in cases of extortion was for the prosecution to give an introductory speech and then one or more speeches arguing for the defendant's guilt. The defending advocates would then reply, and then witnesses would be called. After a two-day adjournment, the prosecution and defence would each give further speeches, and then the jury would vote by secret ballot.
Cicero's opening speech laid great stress on the political aspects of the case. Only senators could be jurors, but there were moves afoot to turn the courts over to the equites (rich non-senators) on the grounds that the senatorial juries were notoriously corrupt. Cicero warns the jury that if they do not convict Verres, who had frequently boasted that his money would guarantee an acquittal, they should not be surprised if the senate's privilege of sitting on juries is taken away. Rather than making speeches arguing for Verres' guilt, Cicero then just presented his witnesses. Verres chose not to contest the case and went into voluntary exile from Italy. Cicero published the speeches he would have given if Verres had stuck it out. The next year the senators lost their exclusive right to sit on juries. Henceforth, juries were made up of 1/3 senators, 1/3 equites, and 1/3 treasury tribunes (tribuni aerarii) (we don't know who exactly the treasury tribunes were).
In the same year as Verres' trial, Cicero had been elected aedile at the youngest age it was legally permissible. He followed up this success by winning the greatest number of votes among the candidates for the eight praetorships for the year 66. During his praetorship he served as the presiding judge for the extortion court where he had prosecuted Verres. Cicero also showed himself to be a supporter of Pompey (the son of his commanding officer in the Social War) by his speech in favour of the law introduced by one of the tribunes, Gaius Manilius, transferring the command of the war against Mithridates to Pompey.
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