Posted on
January 14, 2009 in
If you’re not already on Twitter, here’s a good reason to dip your toe into the twitterstream: jury consultant Dennis Elias (twitter name @JuryVox) tweets frequent links to the latest jury research. For example:
- The Crime Victim’s Right to Confer with Prosecutors.
- Reflections on why we de-humanize our fellow humans. Implications for jury trial.
- Advice on judging personality from the dawn of written history.
I didn’t even have to be selective; those are Dennis’s three most recent tweets (notice that I’ve added the most recent item from Dennis’s Twitter RSS feed to my left sidebar). If there’s not something there that piques your interest, then you probably aren’t interested in trying cases to juries.
If you try cases (or aspire to try cases), go join Twitter right now, and start following Dennis. It’s like having a really smart jury science news clipping service.
I mention Dennis because he delivers his product via Twitter and doesn’t, as far as I know, blog. Other options for receiving new ideas in jury research are California jury consultant Harry Plotkin, who sends out the often-invaluable Jury Tip of the Month via email, and of course the Practical Blawgosphere’s own Wisconsin jury consultant Anne Reed, who blogs brilliantly at Deliberations and tweets as @AnneReed.
Mark,
I find your blawg fascinating…
Of course over here in Blighty we don’t choose juries at all… Is it something which trial practitioners over there find is actually important to the outcome of a trial? Do practitioners see it as an essential part of justice?
A little off topic I know, but if any of your commentators have a view, would love to here it.
From across the pond
Interested Counsel
“Is it something which trial practitioners over there find is actually important to the outcome of a trial?”
Holy Hell yes. Google “Batson challenge.” While jury strikes are useful, I’m finding more and more often (at least in the civil arena in big cities) that race is less of an issue than ever.
Also, jury consultants are worthless POS’s. They’re for lawyers who try a case every ten years and can’t pick a jury worth a damn.
I don’t know about jury consultants — never used one — but I’ve met some trial consultants who could help me tell the story better to the jury.