Here is the latest edition of the Jury Expert which is published by the American Society of Trial Consultants (ASTC). Also, ASTC is having its annual conference next week in New Orleans. For those interested in more information about the conference go here.
Subtle Contextual Influences on Racial Bias in the Courtroom
by Karenna Malavanti, Megan Johnson, Wade Rowatt and Charles Weaver, all from Baylor University.
How well are we managing bias in the courtroom? Four Baylor researchers present research on how subtle religious cues result in more bias against African Americans. (It's actually worse than just African Americans but that's research pending publication so we just get a peek at that.) Karen Hurwitz and George Kich respond with their reactions to the research findings. This is a really disturbing piece of research about which you need to be informed.
The ‘Hoodie Effect’: George, Trayvon and How it Might Have Happened
A look at how to craft trial narratives for both prosecution and defense presentation by reviewing the social sciences research that may be relevant to the George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin case. What do we know in terms of the facts released? What does the research have to say? And how can you take that research and combine it with known facts to craft a plaintiff or defense narrative to test in pretrial research? A disturbing but intriguing article on a case in the headlines.
Leveraging Social Media for Litigation
We are all inundated with social media information. But how do you organize all that information to use it for trial preparation? Amy Singer brings us that knowledge by offering education and information on how-to's for everyone. This is a step-by-step description of the process first used for the Casey Anthony trial.
10 Tips For Preparing The Crazy Witness For a Media Frenzied Trial
Crazy, out-of-control witnesses? Who better than a 60-year-old, small-statured woman to handle them? That's how Katherine James describes herself in this article but as you read it, you will doubt anyone working with Katherine sees her as small and frail. This is brash and plain-spoken advice earned through much (perhaps a bit too much) experience over the years with this challenging group.
Turning an Expert Witness into a Great Witness
How do you best prepare expert witnesses? A close observer of expert witness courtroom performance offers his top tips and Stan Brodsky, Elaine Lewis and Ellen Finlay respond and tell us what they might do the same or differently.
“A Parade of Horribles”—Broccoli, Burial Markets, and Justice Scalia’s Wife: The Role of Analogies in Human Decision-Making from Justices to Jurors
Ryan Malphurs and Hailey Drescher have been watching the Supreme Court again and this time they are showing us how the Supreme Justices use analogies (to lesser and greater effect) and how we can apply those lessons in analogy to non-Supreme Court presentations.
Book Review: Ideology, Psychology, and Law
A book review of the latest (encyclopedic) reference on the intersection of the law and mind sciences. Edited by Jon Hanson with 800 pages full of research and application that will leave you breathless and, more importantly, curious.
Juror Questions: Why Attorneys Should Embrace Allowing Jurors To Ask Questions of Witnesses
Andrea Krebel takes us through the rationale behind juror questions of witnesses and why it makes sense to embrace the practice rather than resist.
Racism, bias, expert and crazy witnesses and a whole lot more
