The Jury Expert doesn't need me anymore, but I'll keep posting about new issues anyway.
Back in May 2008 when the first on-line issue of the American Society of Trial Consultants' bimonthly journal came out, it got 500 hits, and if Deliberations wasn't the only blog to write about it, it was one of a very few.
A year and a half later, The Jury Expert is such a celebrity it probably has to wear sunglasses to go to the drugstore. Each of the last two issues got more than 12,000 hits. The Texas Lawyer named TJE's great Twitter feed one of the "top 20 legal tweeters" in their Sept 28 issue, and the TJE website is one of the Editor's Picks in the Top 60 Legal Websites for ABA's 2009 Tech Show, which starts today.
What made TJE so popular? Plain solid quality, as in the current issue (September, if you click that link after November comes out). There is something here you need:
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The Impact of Graphic Injury Photographs on Liability Verdicts and Non-Economic Damage Awards, by Bryan Edelman
Over the years, the use of graphic, and at times gruesome, visual imagery in the courtroom has become commonplace. Although the use of such imagery has become the norm, the prejudicial nature of this evidence continues to be a contested issue in courtrooms across America. This paper focuses on the impact of graphic injury photographs in a civil dispute where the evidence favors a defense verdict.
Civil Case Mediations: Observations and Conclusions, by James A. Wall, Jr. and Suzanne Chan-Serafin
"You can see a lot by just looking". The authors observe 62 mediations in two cities to identify themes and patterns in successful mediations. Three experienced trial consultants offer their reactions to author assertions.
Identifying Leaders, by Barbara Rich Bushell
An experienced jury consultant discusses how jurors pick presiding jurors and how you can identify their most likely picks as you are engaged in voir dire and jury selection.
Hate Crimes and Revealing Motivation through Racial Slurs, by Gregory S. Parks and Shayne Jones
If a white man assaults a black man and during the assault repeatedly refers to the victim as a "nigger", is it possible that ISN'T a hate crime? A response to the 'hip-hop culture' defense used in the Nicholas Minucci case by two writers who believe the use of racial slurs should be viewed as prima facie evidence that a hate crime has been perpetrated. Two experienced trial consultants offer their reactions to this assertion.
Anthropomorphism in Technical Presentations, by Jason Barnes
How do you explain the often dry technical information in intellectual property cases in a way that is understandable to a lay jury? Try anthropomorphism. An experienced graphic designer and trial consultant offers his experiences in strategies to help jurors emotionally connect with technical data.
Will It Hurt Me In Court? Weapons Issues and the Fears of the Legally Armed Citizen, by Glenn Meyer
An examination of how gender of juror, gender of shooter & type of weapon used interact to modify verdict and sentencing. Two experienced trial consultants respond.
Alternative Cause Strategies in Product Liability Litigation: The Need for Affirmative Defenses, by Sean Overland
An experienced trial consultant breaks down a corporate defendant's case into component parts and demonstrates how alternative causes can be presented for a complete and persuasive defense strategy.
