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... 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... 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... Read More
Fifty Shades of Zumba: Jury selection in a prostitution trial
What do a local gym, Zumba, and prostitution have in common? Apparently, a lot. The names Mark Strong, Sr. and Alexis Wright... Read More
Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood
There are many schools of thought on how best to conduct voir dire. We obviously want to get those heartburn-inducing jurors off the panel,... Read More
Watch Your Tongue! Why happy-hour language can be risky in the courtroom.
Interacting with law students and new lawyers energizes me. It’s important for me to share my experiences and my knowledge of jurors... Read More
Ethics, Secrets and Lies. Oh My!
Did you hear about the latest decision in the United States. v. Daugerdas matter? Daugerdas is not a new story. We wrote about... Read More
Sandusky: The Perfect Case for A Supplemental Jury Questionnaire
Trial began this week in the Jerry Sandusky matter, and I must admit, I’ve been following it closely. The process excites me.... Read More
I Have Something You Don’t Have (and the judge says it’s okay)
At the risk of aging myself, do you remember the poem published in 1989 called, “All I Really Need to Know I... Read More
Show Me the Money! Suggestions for plaintiff voir dire on damages.
Money. Plaintiffs hope to receive lots. Defendants hope to pay none. No matter which side of the aisle you’re on, addressing damages... Read More