ABOTA Foundation Webinar on Jury Selection Strategies
The American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) Foundation is hosting a webinar—“Building Rapport: Picking Your Best Jury”—on June 25, 2024, from 1:00 to 2:00 PM (CST). The webinar will feature two trial attorneys, Christopher J. Beeman and Richard H. Schoenberger, both of the San Francisco chapter. Register for the webinar today.
Relieving Juror Stress: Strategies for Courts—Video
Are you curious about how stress affects jurors and their decision-making process? This video explores the common causes of juror stress and provides actionable strategies for courts to manage it effectively. Learn how well-designed jury summons, flexible scheduling, and supportive courtroom environments can significantly reduce stress for jurors. Discover best practices for managing difficult evidence, conducting fair deliberations, and providing post-trial support.
Enhancing the juror experience helps build trust and confidence in the court system, ensuring fairer outcomes. Visit the Center for Jury Studies, a project of the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), for more information on improving jury service and supporting jurors at ncsc-jurystudies.org.
Op-Ed: Peremptory Challenges are Problematic
In this opinion for CNN, Miriam Krinsky, Chris Kemmitt, and Adam Murphy point to the recent uncovering of evidence that California prosecutors systemically excluded Black and Jewish people from serving as jurors as a defect inherent in the use of peremptory challenges. Peremptory strikes permit a party to remove potential jurors for any reason other than race, ethnicity, or gender (in some states, religion is also protected). Despite this, the trio notes that peremptories continue to be used for discriminatory purposes. They suggest eliminating peremptory challenges and assert that doing so would not “diminish [prosecutors] ability to weed out biased jurors; rather, it removes a tool that . . . strips members of our community of their right to serve on juries.”
Jefferson's Jury-Centered Vision for Courtroom Design
Fast Company, a publication “with an editorial focus on innovation in technology, leadership . . . and design” reports that a new federal courthouse building in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been designed to include one jury-centered courtroom known as the “Virginia Revival Model.” This layout is inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s drawings that put the jury box in the center of the room, rather than to the side. In this setup, the witness box is directly facing the judge and the jury. U.S. District Court Judge Bob Conrad pushed for this kind of courtroom in the Charlotte building. He added, “This design puts [the jury] in the middle of that conversation with an ability to observe the witness directly and judge for themselves in a better way whether the witness is being truthful or not.”
Register Today! "Using Behavioral Science to (Re)Design Your Jury Communications to Improve Response and Appearance Rates"
Join us for an insightful webinar on redesigning jury summonses and other communications with prospective jurors through the lens of behavioral science. Shannon McAuliffe, associate managing director at ideas42, will guide us through behavioral science 101 and innovative strategies that courts can implement to improve response and appearance rates by prospective jurors. The session will explore:
- The principles of behavioral science and how they apply to jury communications
- Real-world examples of redesigned communications that have led to higher engagement
- Practical tips for crafting more effective messages to prospective jurors
As an organization dedicated to applying behavioral science to solve complex social problems, ideas42 has been at the forefront of efforts to enhance court processes. Shannon McAuliffe will share valuable insights from her experience working with courts across the country on defendant appearance rates to implement these evidence-based approaches in the juror context. Register for the webinar today. For more information, email Paula Hannaford-Agor.
Submit Nominations for the 2024 Munsterman Award
The Center for Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts is now accepting nominations for the G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation. The award is named for G. Thomas Munsterman, founder and former director of the Center for Jury Studies and an internationally renowned innovator in jury systems and research. The award recognizes states, local courts, individuals, or other organizations that have made significant improvements or innovations in jury procedures, operations, or practices in state or local statutes, rules, or other formal changes; jury management or technology; in-court improvements; or other improvements or innovations related to juries and jury trials. Nominations will be accepted until 5:00 pm ET on Friday, Sept. 13, 2024. Submit the name of a nominee or email Hope Forbush if you have questions about the nomination process.