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
Latest Headlines
-
Presumed Prejudice, Actual Prejudice, No Prejudice: Skilling v. U.S.
by Thaddeus Hoffmeister, J.D.Posted on July 1, 2010 | 4 CommentsPresumed Prejudice, Actual Prejudice, No Prejudice: Skilling v. U.S. Thaddeus Hoffmeister1 Thaddeus Hoffmeister is an Associate Professor at the University of Dayton School of Law. He primarily teaches in the areas of criminal law. The focus of his research includes petit juries, grand juries and National Security law. Besides teaching, […] -
Emotions in the courtroom: “Need for affect” in juror decision-making
by Desirée Adams and Emily PattyPosted on July 1, 2010 | 3 Comments"The law is reason, free from passion." Aristotle's declaration continues to guide the philosophy of our legal system, and it is expected a jury will weigh all evidence equally and without bias before rendering a verdict. However, emotions are intertwined with any human enterprise, particularly decision-making (Forgas, 1995; Kuvaas & […] -
Editor’s Note
by Rita Handrich, EditorPosted on July 1, 2010 | 1 CommentIt's the dog days of summer here in the heart of Texas but this issue is sure to keep you glued to your computer screen! Once again, we have a variety of pieces that are thought-provoking and provocative but also carefully researched and written. To start us off, Sam Sommers […] -
Atticus Finch Would Not Approve: Why a Courtroom Full of Reptiles Is a Bad Idea
by Stephanie West Allen, J.D. and Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D. and Diane Wyzga, R.N., J.D.Posted on May 1, 2010 | 32 CommentsINTRODUCTION Some members of the trial bar have taken a keen interest in a model of trial advocacy that features manipulating jurors by fostering fear. What is this model? It claims you can predictably win a trial by speaking to, and scaring, the primitive part of jurors' brains, the part […] -
The Shrinking Strike Zone: Avoiding Problems During Jury Selection in the Age of Batson
by Sean Overland, Ph.D.Posted on May 1, 2010 | 3 CommentsIs your race-neutral explanation enough to survive a Batson challenge? In February, the Supreme Court handed down its decision in the case of Thaler v. Haynes, the latest in a string of cases originating with Batson v. Kentucky in 1986. In Batson, the Court outlawed the use of race-based peremptory […] -
The Biggest Bully In the Room
by Trisha RenaudPosted on May 1, 2010 | 13 CommentsJurors these days seem to make news almost as much for their misbehavior as for the decisions they make. First, there are a multitude of stories about jurors who refuse to follow the rules and use Google to satisfy their curiosity or hop on Facebook to share their opinions with […] -
Less Bad News: What Defense Advocates Can Learn from the Duke Lacrosse Case
by Robert M. Entman, Ph.D. and Kimberly A. Gross, Ph.D.Posted on May 1, 2010 | No CommentsIn covering the infamous Duke lacrosse case, journalists received enormous criticism for the way they allegedly convicted the defendants in the press. Yet the practice is hardly unusual. Standard media routines and practices often contribute to undermining the presumption of innocence, particularly with high profile crimes. Still, in other respects […] -
Beneath the Robes and Behind Closed Doors: Why Supreme Court Justices Behave as Jurors
by Ryan A. Malphurs, Ph.D.Posted on May 1, 2010 | 2 CommentsDuring a recent visit to the Supreme Court I was fortunate enough to witness Justice Breyer grabbing breakfast from the Court's cafeteria. He moved quietly through the public who largely remained unaware of his presence except for the handful of law students and Court watchers who gawked at his arrival. […] -
Does Jury Size Still Matter? An Open Question
by Jill P. Holmquist, J.D.Posted on May 1, 2010 | 1 CommentHistorically, Jury Size Mattered The right to trial by jury resides deep in the American psyche. It ranks right up there with Mom, apple pie, and the First Amendment. Indeed, a 2006 survey found that more than half of Americans thought the right to jury trials was found in the […] -
If They Don’t Like You They Won’t Hear You: An Essay on Persuasive Communication
by Steven E. Perkel, DSW, LCSWPosted on May 1, 2010 | 3 CommentsTwenty-three hundred years ago in Rhetoric, Aristotle wrote that persuasive speech was dependent on three variables: the speaker, the subject matter, and the listener. More specifically, Aristotle taught us that three key issues impact persuasiveness; the character of the speaker or Ethos, the veracity of the argument itself, Logos, and […]