Scientific Jury Selection

"Given the importance of trial consultants to the modern-day practice of law, Scientific Jury Selection is designed to be informative for psychologists, other professionals interested in trial consulting (e.g., sociologists, communication experts, marketing researchers, psychiatrists, and social workers), and attorneys. The authors provide a thorough review of the most common techniques used to select jurors and a critical, social-science-based evaluation of the ultimate effectiveness of these methods. The nature and mechanics of the voir dire process, the use of community surveys, and the influence of demographic factors on scientific jury selection are among the many topics given a close examination by the two authors, who are pioneers in the field. Psychologists and other social scientists as well as practicing trial consultants who read the book will gain a better understanding of the current state of research relevant to scientific jury selection, emerging trends, and areas in which new research needs to be conducted to advance the field. Attorneys who read the book will be better positioned to decide whether to hire consultants to assist in future litigation, and if so, what types of services these consultants should provide"--Jacket. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved).

Jury selection is the process by which attorneys remove people from the jury pool whom they judge to be undesirable, presumably because they fear that the potential juror would be biased against their side. In this book, the authors review the law governing attorneys' decisions to remove potential jurors from jury service, including laws prohibiting the systematic removal of particular categories of people from the jury.

While jury decision making has received considerable attention from social scientists, there have been few efforts to systematically pull together all the pieces of this research. In Jury Decision Making, Dennis J. Devine examines over 50 years of research on juries and offers a "big picture" overview of the field. The volume summarizes existing theories of jury decision making and identifies what we have learned about jury behavior, including the effects of specific courtroom practices, the nature of the trial, the characteristics of the participants, and the evidence itself. Making use of those foundations, Devine offers a new integrated theory of jury decision making that addresses both individual jurors and juries as a whole and discusses its ramifications for the courts. Providing a unique combination of broad scope, extensive coverage of the empirical research conducted over the last half century, and theory advancement, this accessible and engaging volume offers "one-stop shopping" for scholars, students, legal professionals, and those who simply wish to better understand how well the jury system works.

This practical guide for practitioners and the judiciary provides readers with guidance on all aspects of jury selection, from the initial decision to select trial by jury to challenges for cause and peremptory challenges.

The first of a two-volume set on the Psychology of the Courtroom, Jury Psychology: Social Aspects of Trial Processes offers a definitive account of the influence of trial procedures on juror decision-making. A wide range of topics are covered including pre-trial publicity and inadmissible evidence, jury selection, jury instruction, and death penalty cases, as well as decision-making in civil trials. In addition, a number of global issues are discussed, including procedural justice issues and theoretical models of juror decision-making. Throughout the volume the authors make recommendations for improving trial procedures where jurors are involved, and they discuss how the problems and potential solutions are relevant to courts around the world.

Here is an outstanding source that combines expert analysis of the law governing jury selection with a full and definitive explanation of all current scientific methodology employed in that process. Beginning with in-depth exploration of the legal issues in jury law today, Jury Selection, Fourth Edition goes on to provide detailed guidance--available in no other single source--on such crucial topics and procedures as: Background investigation Community attitude surveying Batson challenges Voir dire techniques and strategies Nonverbal communication With specific courtroom applications of all the relevant scientific methodology, Jury Selection, Fourth Edition is a must for the litigator who wants to use the most advanced techniques available to ensure a fair-minded and unprejudiced jury.