Jury Selection and Reality TV: The Need for Acceptance
My old boss use to say, “The #1 fear is rejection, and the #1 need is acceptance.” Makes perfect sense, and I think it translates to every situation, every age and every dynamic. I mean, really. Who likes to be rejected? I certainly don’t. Science Daily posted an article about this very phenomenon. A psychologist from the University... Read More
If I Want It To Be True, It Must Be True: Jury Perceptions
Imagine this: A panel of jurors who have zero bias. A panel of jurors who weigh the evidence based strictly on the facts, scientific data and proven methodologies related to the case. A panel of jurors who rely only on this evidence to reach their verdict. Sound impossible? Science says it is. Even though our... Read More
Education or Experience: Which Matters Most in An Expert Witness?
Have you ever hired an expert witness simply because he had more credentials than the other? Have you ever had a witness testify that had very little education but a lifetime of sweat equity? I’m often asked which is more important: education or experience. My answer? It depends on the witness. In 2009, Rasmussen conducted... Read More
Will Batson Challenges Extend to Sexual Orientation?
Batson v. Kentucky. You probably know it well. The landmark 1986 Supreme Court decision that sought to forever-protect African American jurors from discrimination. Batson stated that peremptory challenges could not exclude a juror on the basis of race, as doing so would violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. Over the years, the courts... Read More
What’s In A Name?
Have you ever wondered what impact – if any – your name has had on your life or how others perceive you? Believe it or not, there is an awful lot of information tied to a name. Be it our given name, nick name, or even the name of a charity, corporation or law firm.... Read More
Power, Punishment and Perception
If you’ve ever had the opportunity to watch mock jury deliberations, it’s quite possible that one mock juror stood out from the rest. Perhaps he was more vocal than the others. Maybe she interrupted those with differing views and injected her opinions. Or maybe, he just seemed to talk louder and more forcefully than other mock... Read More
Does Race Matter in Criminal Trials? Yep.
Have you ever heard about the Blomberg trial out of Houston? The case involved Andrew Blomberg– one of four ex-Houston Police Officers– who was charged with official oppression for allegedly beating a then-15-year-old suspect (Chad Holley) in 2010. It was all caught on videotape. Blomberg, the first of the four officers to be tried, was... Read More
California and non-citizen juries?
Have you heard about the latest proposal from California lawmakers? The California Assembly passed a bill the other day that would allow non-citizens (who are in the country legally) to serve as jurors. According to this bill, California jurors would no longer be required to be citizens of the United States. Talk about a touchy... Read More
Jurors, Social Rejection and Perceptions of Money
Social acceptance is a fundamental human need, and consumers spend a significant amount of time and money to ensure that they stay connected, feel accepted, and have a social support system in place. But what about folks who struggle with social connections and, as a general rule of thumb, feel excluded and disconnected from others?... Read More
Finding Themes and Taglines on A Dime Store Budget
All too often, “trial themes” and “taglines” do not enter into one’s stream of consciousness until settlement fails and the jury trial is weeks away. In a more perfect world, themes would be on every attorney’s radar from Day One. After all, there are numerous advantages to incorporating them into your case from the get-go.... Read More