Latest Edition of the Jury Expert

Does Video Image Size Affect Jurors’ Decisions? A Look at How Image Size Interacts with Evidence Strength, Defendant Emotion and the Defendant/Victim Relationship Wendy Heath and Bruce Grannemann ponder how video image size in the courtroom is related to juror decision-making about your case. They discuss how image size interacts with image strength, defendant emotions, and the defendant/victim relationship. Trial consultants Jason Barnes and Brian Patterson team up for one response to this article and Ian McWilliams pens another. This is a terrific article to help you reconsider the role of image size in that upcoming trial.  Moral Outrage Drives Biases Against Gay and Lesbian Individuals in Legal Judgments Sarah Malik and Jessica Salerno have some original research on bias against gays in the courtroom. This is simple and powerful research that illustrates just how moral outrage drives our judgments against LGBT individuals (especially when they are juveniles). Stan Brodsky and Christopher Coffey team up for one response and Alexis Forbes pens a second. While these findings make intuitive sense, they may also highlight something you've not previously considered.  Anti-war Protestors and Civil Disobedience: A Tale of Two Juries Lynne Williams is a trial consultant who lives in the cold and snowy state of Maine. She is also skilled in picking juries for political trials and a gifted writer as she describes the important differences between picking juries for civil disobedience cases and antiwar protestor cases. This article not only explains what Ms. Williams does, but why and how she does what she does. It's like lifting up the top of her head and peering inside her brain.  A Qualitative Examination of Self-Care in Lawyers Mary Wood, Jacklyn Nagle and Pamela Bucy Pierson bring us this qualitative examination of self-care in lawyers. They talk about workplace stress and depression and substance abuse. Been there? Are there? Some kinds of self-care may work better than others but--what's important is that you actually do some self-care! Andy Sheldon and Alison Bennett share their reactions to this article.  Favorite Thing: Plain Text Why, you may wonder, would Plain Text EVER be a Favorite Thing. Because it is fabulous. Or, perhaps because, "Plain text is the cockroach of file types: it will outlive us all." The Selective Allure of Neuroscience and Its Implications for The Courtroom Adam Shniderman knows neuroscience evidence can be incredibly alluring. This new study shows us that unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) it is not universally alluring. Here's a shocker: the impact of the neuroscience evidence is related to the individual listener's prior attitudes, values and beliefs about the topic. Robert Galatzer-Levy and Ekaterina Pivovarova respond with their thoughts on the issues raised.  Book Review: Law and Neuroscience Law and Neuroscience by Owen Jones, Jeffrey Schall, and Francis Shen has just published and is as long as any Harry Potter tale at more than 800 pages. Rita Handrich takes a look at this new textbook and reference manual which covers more than you ever knew existed on the wide-ranging field of neurolaw (which is a whole lot more than the "my brain made me do it" defense).  Promoting Communications between Social Scientists and Lawyers Roy Bullis is back to talk to us about the wide language gulf between attorneys and their social science expert witnesses. Just because you are talking, doesn't mean you are actually communicating. How do you talk so your expert knows what you mean?    Editor’s Note: It’s cold outside and other musings for November of 2014   It's cold outside so stay inside and read this new issue of The Jury Expert! A summary of what you will find in this issue with a special thanks to Lynne Williams and congratulations to Richard Gabriel!

We hope you enjoy this issue of The Jury Expert. We are always interested in any suggestions you may have for future issues or reactions to our publication in general. Just click on my name below and send me an email.    Rita R. Handrich, PhD Editor, The Jury Expert