A Winning Tip is jointly written by Dr. Noelle Nelson and Diane Rumbaugh. Dr. Nelson is a clinical psychologist, author, and consultant. Ms. Rumbaugh is a PR consultant and author. Together they provide helpful advice on trial proceedings.
Jurors are told by the Judge not to research anything having to do with the trial, which is fine–except when a juror finds themselves bumped off the panel by a Judge for daring to look up a legal term…
A disturbing comment I hear repeatedly in jury debriefings and focus groups is that the attorneys do not connect their points or evidence to the specifics of the complaint.Furthermore, attorneys rarely fully explain the jury instructions to the jury,…
Delving into the group affiliation tendencies and reading habits of your jurors can give you valuable clues to whether or not a juror will be empathic, meaning able or willing to help others in need.We’ve usually taken this to…
It used to be thought that by activating dire consequences in jurors’ minds, jurors would rush to fix or avoid consequences. This has held true whether one is plaintiff justifying huge damages, or defense arguing “They’re the bad guy,…
Now that we are back in the courtroom as opposed to our above-the-waist-only position on Zoom, our witnesses/experts’ body language is once again relevant.In working with witnesses, I developed the “Power Sit” – my shorthand for “Please sit up…
As we slowly come out of the pandemic, albeit in fits and starts, juror attitudes have understandably shifted in these difficult and trying times. It is inevitable that among your jurors there will be those who are recently unemployed,…
Now that we’re slowly coming out of the pandemic with its restrictions, trials are resuming. With that, jurors are once again entering your world. Darn. Trials would be so much easier if you didn’t have to deal with jurors.…
As much as jurors resent a witness who lies, you must have inconvertible evidence that someone is out and out lying in order to even suggest it. Even then, it’s best to let the jurors come to the conclusion…
