Jur-E Bulletin

2023 Newsletters

March 17ABOTA Foundation Hosting "A More Perfect Jury: Seating a Fair and Diverse Panel"
March 10Federal Court in D.C. Faulted on Jury Representativeness
March 3Jury Selection in a Post-Pandemic World: A Discussion of Preliminary Findings in "State of the States Survey 2.0"
February 24Federal Panel Reconciles Reasonable Doubt Instruction with Jury Nullification Power
February 17Windsor Canada Jurors to Receive $120/Day Stipend
February 10Florida Political Leaders Want to Eliminate Unanimous Verdicts in Capital Cases
February 3Voir Dire in Young Thug Trial Demonstrates Many Juror Hardships. How Can Policy-Makers Respond?
January 27Prosecutor's Argument to Jury - "Beyond a Reasonable Is Not Beyond All Doubt" = Legal Error (But Harmless)
January  20D.C. Expands Categories of Jury-Demandable Cases
January 13Allowing One Juror to Participate Virtually Is Not Legal Error

2022 Newsletters

December 16Does "Fair-Cross-Section" Requirement Apply to Civil Cases?
December 9Ohio Supreme Court Settles Question About "Public Trial Rights"
December 2Pennsylvania Supreme Court Criticizes Trial Judge's Effort to Explain "Reasonable Doubt"
November 18"Death Qualification" and Judge-Panel Sentencings in Capital Cases - Okay in Nebraska
November 11Replacing Deliberating Juror Cure for Outside Contact
October 28District of Columbia Produces Model Jury Service Appreciation Program
October 212022 Munsterman Award Bestowed Upon Kansas Judge
October 7Federal Continuing Resolution Contains Millions for Jury Trials
September 30Boston College of Law Explores Trends in Jury Selection Reforms
September 23American Society of Trial Consultants Takes Stand Against Elimination of Peremptory Strikes
September 16North Carolina Murder Trial May Presage Challenge to Juror "Death Qualification" Doctrine
September 9Judge Reverses Course to Allow News Media to Attend Jury Selection in Trial of Trump Organization
August 26Texas Judge Listens to Jury Deliberations, Then Calls for Corrective Actions
August 19No Reversable Error Where Peremptory Strikes Were Based on Jurors’ Ages & Judge Repeatedly Gave Preliminary Instruction Telling Jurors to Disregard their Life Experiences
August 12Jurors Could Ask Qs to Witnesses in Alex Jones Trial
August 5Washington Untangles “Discombobulated” Standards to Remedy Voir Dire Nondisclosures
July 29 Federal Panel Nullifies Application of Statute Curbing Jury-Nullification Demonstrators
July 22 New Jersey Supreme Court Orders New Jury Selection Procedures
July 15 Ontario High Court Rejects Trial Judge Efforts to Create a Gender-Balanced Jury
July 8 Pound Civil Justice Institute Publishes Transcript of 2021 Forum on Civil Jury Trial Reform
June 24 “Time for Minnesota Courts to Make Diversity a Priority”
June 17 Washington State Supreme Court Applies Batson Standards to Police Arrest Tactics
June 10 New Jersey Legislation Would Codify Procedures for Challenging Peremptory Strikes
June 3 Facial Action Coding Software Available for Use in Jury Selection
May 20 New Jersey Court Publish Jury Selection Reforms for Public Comment
May 13 2nd Federal Circuit Grapples with Whether Midtrial Closed Hearing Violates Public Trial Right
May 6 What to Do When a Juror's Girlfriend and His Boss Research the Case During Trial?
April 29 New Justice Ketanji Brown-Jackson Cares About Jury Trials
April 22 State High Court Ignores Death Row Defendant's Ripe Claim of Racially Biased Juror - SCOTUS Takes a Pass Also
April 8 Unobjected-to Limitations on Trial Observers During the Pandemic Is Not Structural Error
April 1 To Benefit Crime Victims-Lawmaker Seeks Reform of the Timing and Notice of Jury Verdicts
March 25 Do Litigants There Have Broader Rights Than Baston Provides?
March 18 The Risks of Open-Court Voir Dire Demonstrated in Second Theranos Fraud Trial
March 11 The Case of the Juror Who Punches Himself During Deliberations
March 4 Congress Asked to Update Jury Stipends and Summoning in D.C.
February 25 Alaska Case Demonstrates Legal Perils of Livestreaming Jury Trials
February 18 North Carolina Supreme Court Finds a Batson Violation - For the First Time Since 1986
February 11 Efforts Are Afoot to undo Arizona Supreme Court's Abolition of Peremptory Strikes
February 4 Defense Attorney's Interjection of Racial Stereotypes During Jury Selection Leads to Conviction Reversal
January 28 Judge Requires a Juror to Serve After Unsuccessful Efforts to Rehabilitate
January 21 New Jersey Ethics: Lawyers Can Face Discipline for Discriminatory Jury Selection Practices
January 14 When Jury Foreperson Discloses Prior Contact with Victim's Family During Deliberations, Trial Court Mus Pursue Details
January  7 Aussie Lawyer Criticizes the Influence of Media on Ghislaine Maxwell Verdict

2021 Newsletters

December 17 Case Against Minnesota Cop Prompts Concerns About Juror English Competency
December 10 Confederacy Décor in Jury Deliberation Room Causes Verdict Reversal
December 3 Do Face Mask Requirements for Jurors Violate a Defendant's Constitutional Rights?
November 19 Three-Year Old Summoned for Jury Duty
November 12 What's Happening with Juries Around the World?
November 5 Judge Rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's Requests to Exclude the Public Access to Jury Selection Particulars
October 29 Eyes on Charlottesville - Challenges in Finding Impartial  Jurors in Prosecution of "Unite the Right" Defendants
October 22 D.C. High Court Faults Trial Judge for Denying Batson Challenge
October 15 Juror Feedback: Jury Service Was Fun, but "Why Isn't My Asian Identity Listed as an Option on Jury Duty Forms?"
October 8 Free October Webinar Series Aims to Respond to Why Diverse Juries Matter
October 1 How Can We Revive Civil Jury Trials?
September 24 Ohio Counties Want Unvaxxed Jurors Out of Opioid MDL Trial
September 17 Curtis Flowers Seeks Damage Award Against State Prosecutor & Investigators
September 10 Jury's Death Penalty Verdict Against Dylann Roof Affirmed by 4th Circuit
August 27 Judge-Jury Verdict Comparisons in Termination of Parental Rights Cases
August 20 NJ Supreme Court Clarifies Jury Qualification Methods & Procedures
August 13 Georgia Supreme Court Expounds on the “Repugnant Verdict” Doctrine
August 6 NYU Law School Charts Judicial Views on Gradual Return of In-Person Jury Trials
July 30 Equal Justice Initiative Publishes Recommendations to Make Juries More Representative
July 23 New Jersey Supreme Court Finds Selective Background Check of Juror Was Discriminatory
July 16 Do Courtroom Curtains Prejudice a Jury? Federal 2nd Circuit Gives Interior Decorating Advice
July 9 Juror Fined $11,227 for Causing a Mistrial
June 25 Will Vaccine Mandate Skew Jury Composition?
June 18 Virtual Trial Advice Column – Don’t Let Voir Dire Become a Circus
June 11 Why Texas Justices Halted A Virtual Jury Trial
June 4 Why Are Civil Jury Trials Disappearing?
May 28 Georgia Country Institutes New Summoning Process and Addresses Pandemic Era Scams
May 21 Scotus Denies Retroactivity of Ramos v. Louisiana Doctrine
May 14 Ex-Fla. Rep. Gets New Trial After Removal of Faith-Inspired Juror
May 7 Pandemic Rapid Response Team Advises on Seeking Jurors' Vaccine Status
April 30 Arkansas Legislature Passes Law to Prohibit Mask Mandates  - Will This Affect Jury Summoning Yields
April 16 Federal Judge Downplays Use of Plexiglass in Courtroom
April 9 "Twenty Million Angry Men - The Case for Including Convicted Felons in Our Jury System"
April 2 April Marks the 100th Anniversary of Women Jurors in Kentucky
March 26 Live Streaming of the Derek Chauvin Trial
March 19 Arizona Begins Deep Study of Jury System; Focus on Fair Cross-section Compliance
March 12 Retired Public Defender Comments on the Pretrial Questionnaire Used in the George Floyd Murder Case
March 5 George Floyd Murder Trial Begins on Monday - Voir Dire Questioning and Security Taking Shape
February 26 New Study Indicates How  Ex-Con Exclusion Laws Affect Jury Diversity
February 19 Wisconsin Court Comes Up with Jury Summoning Questionnaire Addressing COVID Concerns
February 12 Harris County (Texas) Takes Steps to Improve Jury Diversity and Participation
February 5 Does Presence of a Witness's Emotional Support Animal Prejudice a Jury?
January 29 Best Practices to Address COVID-caused Criminal Case Backlogs
January 22 Arkansas Supreme Court Reverses Murder Conviction Where Juror Signed Petition to Reelect the Prosecutor
January 15 California Judges Seek Early Vaccination Status
January 8 Pretrial Jury Selection Questionnaire in George Floyd Murder Case  - A Model for Determining Bias?