Articles by Category
Articles by Issue
Recent Comments
- Stephen Brodsky on Harming Children: Uncovering and Overcoming Bias When Defending Sex Crimes Against Children
- Laura on Courtroom Attire: Ensuring Witness Attire Makes the Right Statement
- Members selection — Court-Martial Trial Practice Blog — February 22, 2014 on Why Do We Ask Jurors To Promise That They Will Do the Impossible?
- Video: Pryor Greed and Lawyers | Parents Rights Blog on Ethical Issues in Racial Profiling
- On the relationship between ideological and demographic diversity on Inaccuracy in Political Self-Perception: Young Adults Are Not as Conservative as They Believe
- Taylor Bishop on Tips for Preparing the Expert Witness
- Thanks for stopping by…. « The Jury Room on Book Review- Social Media as Evidence: Cases, Practice Pointers, and Techniques
- Thanks for stopping by…. « The Jury Room on Book Review: The Juror Factor: Race and Gender in America’s Civil Courts
Communication Archive
-
The Hidden Lives of Court Reporters
by Claire E. Moore and Stanley L. Brodsky, Ph.D. and David SamsPosted on December 16, 2016 | 3 CommentsWe all know they are omnipresent but what do those court reporters really think and experience? -
More Techniques for Uncovering Juror Bias before It’s Too Late
by Mykol C. Hamilton and Kate ZephyrhawkePosted on December 16, 2016 | 3 CommentsUncovering bias in change of venue surveys. -
How Does My Retained Expert Witness Improve Credibility?
by Merrie Jo Pitera, Ph.D.Posted on April 20, 2016 | 4 CommentsIt comes as no surprise that when a witness is perceived as being credible, his or her messages will be more persuasive to the jury. Much academic research has been conducted to determine the primary characteristics that measure credibility. There has even been a scale developed to measure the perceived […] -
Tips for Preparing the Expert Witness
by Alyssa Tedder-King, M.S. and Katie Czyz, M.A.Posted on April 20, 2016 | 5 CommentsWorking with expert witnesses can be difficult for even the most seasoned attorneys and trial consultants. Oftentimes, egos and expertise can get in the way of an expert’s ability to deliver persuasive testimony, requiring attorneys and trial consultants to be creative when developing solutions that fit both the problem and […] -
Juror Perceptions of Women as Expert Witnesses: Suggestions for the Effects of Testimony Complexity, Gender-Intrusive Questioning, and Perceived Credibility
by Brittany P. BatePosted on April 20, 2016 | 2 CommentsThe use of expert witnesses has become commonplace within legal proceedings. As a result, research regarding how jurors perceive expert testimony has become of increasing importance. A variety of variables can influence juror perceptions of expert testimony, ranging from content-related variables (e.g., quality of the testimony, complexity of the testimony) […] -
Expressing Anger Increases Male Jurors’ Influence, but Decreases Female Jurors’ Influence, During Mock Jury Deliberations
by Jessica Salerno, Ph.D. and Liana Peter-Hagene, MA and Justin Sanchez, BAPosted on April 20, 2016 | 4 CommentsIn her autobiography, Justice Sonia Sotomayor highlights emotion expression as a powerful persuasion tool—an argument that dates back to the 4th century B.C.E. (Aristotle, Rhetoric). Yet, expressing emotion has not always served her well. Her minority dissent from the Supreme Court’s decision to uphold Michigan’s affirmative action ban (Schuette v. […] -
Understanding the Traumatized Witness
by Lorie Hood, M.S.Posted on April 15, 2016 | 1 CommentOne of the biggest challenges lawyers face is witness examination. You know your job, you have done the preparation and yet, somehow, at some point, your witness seems to transform right in front of your eyes. You know the story. Witness “X” has presented in your office as thoughtful, credible, […] -
Schadenfreude In The Courtroom: Nonobvious Pleasures at Obvious Distress
by Adele Mantiply and Michelle A. Jones and Stanley L. Brodsky, Ph.D.Posted on December 1, 2015 | No CommentsSchadenfreude, the experience of taking pleasure from the distress of another, is often in the courtroom. While schadenfreude might be a natural and understandable reaction to the contentious and possibly emotional environment of a courtroom, these researchers also address whether it can lead to harmful effects, and end by discussing ways to examine this phenomenon empirically. -
Revealing Juror Bias Without Biasing Your Juror: Experimental Evidence For Best Practice Survey And Voir Dire Questions
by Mykol C. Hamilton, PhD and Kate Zephyrhawke, MAPosted on December 1, 2015 | 13 CommentsProspective jurors "know" the "right answer" to the questions on whether they can be fair and unbiased. But in this research, two academics show us how traditional voir dire and survey questions pose the question in a way that elicits a drastic under-reporting of individual biases. This article shows how to ask questions to help jurors acknowledge their biases (which we all have) in ways that does not shame them or make them feel like "bad people" for having biases.