Defendants spoke directly to jurors in a series of recent high-profile trials, defying conventional wisdom that the risks of taking the stand usually outweigh the benefits.Among those who chose to testify was Kim Potter, convicted of manslaughter for killing Daunte Wright during a traffic stop when the Minnesota police officer mistook her gun for a Taser.Another was Kyle Rittenhouse, who was acquitted of murder last month for shooting three protesters in Kenosha, Wisconsin, killing two and wounding a third.The run of …