Questions about the jury.

[NEIASD]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? SD

These are just some general questions--I haven't had experience with a jury or a jury trial.

I have heard that juries tend to side with attorneys that they like (perhaps even judging them by looks) This might sound stupid...but I had to ask. What do you think about this?

Are jury trails fair or biassed? Does the media influance them? Are they strongly told not to subject themselves to personal feelings--to use the evidence and not the charges?

How about a difference in conservative or liberal people? People from the midwest or people from california?

Just wondering..........

 

[seniorjudge]

These are good questions.

Search on the web for the jury selection companies.

I'd ask these questions of someone who worked for the defense team in the Scott Peterson trial.

Oh...wait a minute....I think they're out of business.

Well, I will give you an answer, humans are funny critters and you cannot predict their actions or reactions to anything.

 

[Florid-aise]

I sure wish that you had not asked a question about juries in general. My knee-jerk reaction to your question is to respond this way:

I love 'em. I mean I really love 'em. The whole process, good and bad; good or bad. Here's why. The jury booth (as well as the voting booth) are the only two places in this great nation of ours where time stands perfectly still.

Every jury member of any jury anywhere in this country at any time ever having sat on a jury, without realizing this, is being the function of our constitutional founders as if the ink were still wet on the paper. The greatest "check" in the check and balance system the world has ever known, is the jury and the power of one person, one vote. No matter the powers of the state to bring criminal charges, no matter the significance of the alleged offense. It is "common folk" who decide the facts. Not legal minds, not scholars, not those immerersed in theories of jurisprudence, but plumbers, school teachers, and dentists. They decide the facts. This is cool to me.

But because of the diversity of persons, and every person has a prejudice in one form or the other, juries are and can be as fickle as Scott Peterson himself. I mean after all I prefer pick-up trucks over four-door sedans. (See what I mean?)

 

[Rhubarb297]

What is the name of your state?What is the name of your state? SD

These are just some general questions--I haven't had experience with a jury or a jury trial.

I have heard that juries tend to side with attorneys that they like (perhaps even judging them by looks) This might sound stupid...but I had to ask. What do you think about this?

Are jury trails fair or biassed? Does the media influance them? Are they strongly told not to subject themselves to personal feelings--to use the evidence and not the charges?

How about a difference in conservative or liberal people? People from the midwest or people from california?

Just wondering..........

You ask a lot of questions. Sounds like you're doing a research paper for school.

Of course as an attorney it helps if the jury likes you. It's only human nature to try to help someone out.

Only about 1% of the jury trials get media attention. The media might have some role in those cases, especially if it's a televised trial and the attorneys are preening for the cameras.