With the news world still abuzz with implications of former President Trump’s 34 felony convictions and impending sentencing in New York, we are left to wonder about the effectiveness of defense attorney Todd Blanche’s...more
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on yet another momentous legal issue – this time, the claim of absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for claimed official acts by former President, Donald Trump who...more
As our court system looks at the possibilities for trials under the current pandemic conditions, it seems like we face a choice: Restart trials in person, with distance, disinfectants, masks, and barriers; or move the process...more
We tend to think of “bias” as it applies to juries, but courts can have their own deep-seated practices. For example, judges will often prefer voir dire questions that focus on the juror’s own assessment of the influence of a...more
8/12/2020
/ Appeals ,
Bias ,
Boston Bombings ,
Criminal Convictions ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Death Penalty ,
Defense Strategies ,
Judges ,
Jury Selection ,
Jury Trial ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Peremptory Challenges ,
Reversal ,
Transfer of Venue ,
Trial Practice Guidance ,
Trial Preparation ,
Vacated ,
Voir Dire
In courtrooms making tentative steps toward reopening to in-person jury trials, some of the parties have called for increased use of juror questionnaires, ideally filled out ahead of time either by mail or online. This makes...more
With protests continuing in many major American cities, the civil unrest and violence has had a polarizing effect on the public. While some call for reform and for understanding of what motivates these marches, others call...more
When Trump associate Roger Stone was sentenced last month for obstruction of Congress and witness tampering, there was some pushback from media, Stone’s legal team, and the President himself targeting the jury’s foreperson, a...more
3/6/2020
/ Bias ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Defense Strategies ,
Juror ,
Jury Selection ,
Jury Trial ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Questionnaires ,
Social Media ,
Trial Practice Guidance ,
Trial Preparation ,
Trump Administration ,
Voir Dire
Roger Stone has now been sentenced, following conviction on seven counts of obstruction, false statements, and witness tampering. But for the political fixer and his legal team, the fight isn’t over. In a recent motion, they...more
Harvey Weinstein goes to trial this week. Out of approximately eighty women accusing the former Hollywood mogul of sexual misconduct over the past few decades, two assault cases will be heard by a jury this week in Manhattan....more
1/6/2020
/ #MeToo ,
Bias ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Defense Strategies ,
Jury Selection ,
Litigation Strategies ,
Questionnaires ,
Scandals ,
Sexual Assault ,
Sexual Harassment ,
Social Media ,
Trial Practice Guidance ,
Trial Preparation ,
Voir Dire
Once you’re aware of “dehumanization” as a feature of communication, you start to see it everywhere. Characterizing a group as less than human in one or more ways is often part of the rhetorical landscape on the most divisive...more
A newly-published study about the effects of voir dire in capital cases suggests that social scientists and the courts may need to reconsider a long-held tenet. For at least the past 35 years, the belief has been that jurors...more
Our ability to understand and to talk to each other is increasingly determined by our political leanings. When we all sit down for family Thanksgiving in a couple of months, politics is likely to be off limits at many tables....more
We all recognize the scene from a crime drama. Sometime late at night, under the dim lights of the state’s forensic lab, the results emerge from the sophisticated lab equipment: It’s a match! There is now no doubt whatsoever...more
Canada has an odd system for determining juror bias in some cases. Referred to as a “trier’s process,” it involves the section of two jurors, who do not otherwise go on to become jurors in the case, but are instead charged...more
When your trial-bound case faces complexity, possible juror bias, or potential juror hardships — which is to say, when you have a trial-bound case — you could benefit from a supplemental juror questionnaire, particularly when...more