Mock trial juror
- Thread starter Buckeye
- Start date
ls99
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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Seems lees painful than medical experimentee.
travelover
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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I was on a real jury for a murder trial and I think I got paid $12 a day. I think parking was $10 a day. 
Beryl
Recycles dryer sheets
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I'd like to do that.
Last Monday, I was dismissed from jury duty now that I'm on our county's community corrections board and know many of the deputies and the defense attorneys (those who represent the scum-bags who want to either avoid jail or get out). I enjoyed the 2 times that I actually served on a jury so a mock trial would be fun, I think.
Last Monday, I was dismissed from jury duty now that I'm on our county's community corrections board and know many of the deputies and the defense attorneys (those who represent the scum-bags who want to either avoid jail or get out). I enjoyed the 2 times that I actually served on a jury so a mock trial would be fun, I think.
TromboneAl
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give me a forum ...
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I wonder whether a single adult-ed class in some legal thing would be enough to get one out of jury duty.
Leonidas
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
You should see the shenanigans that go on when I show up for jury duty.
Buckeye
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I saw a small ad in the Sunday paper a couple of weeks ago that gave a website to sign up. I signed up both DH and myself. I was surprised to get a call so soon as I didn't think anything would come of it. I can't remember the website but I will ask what it was when they give me my reminder call on Tuesday.
I'll use about 2 gallons of gas getting there and back but they will pay the parking. I would do it for free as long as they paid the parking so it's a bonus to get paid.
I'll use about 2 gallons of gas getting there and back but they will pay the parking. I would do it for free as long as they paid the parking so it's a bonus to get paid.
That happened to me once too, on the same day I was supposed to testify in another criminal case in an adjacent courtroom. They decided that the jury duty took priority and when the voir dire examination took place "Do you know any of the officers scheduled to testify in this case?"
"I've been working with them for 20 years."
"Would you attach more credibility to the officer's testimony than to that of the defendant?"
Thinking "Well, duh..." but out loud "Yes I would".
"You're dismissed".
Leonidas
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
They never even let me get that close. The last time I went I was in the first 6 or so for a trial that would have 6 jurors. The defense didn't even try to ask me any questions, and they didn't want to waste a strike, so they called for a jury shuffle. I moved up to number 3. In Texas they are allowed two shuffles, so they called for the second shuffle. I moved down to the opposite end of the pool - I bet there was a sigh of relief on that at the defense table.
While we were out in the hallway doing the second shuffle, one of the jurors asked the bailiff what was up with the shuffling. His reply made me chuckle: "They're real scared of one of you all that is near the front of the list."
I did a few days of jury duty for a guy who was found holding a meth pipe. However it became clear during the trial that he'd pissed off an extremely large number of HPD's finest, and this was all they could convince the prosecuting attorney to take to trial.
We convicted him. I hope they got what they wanted, because as far as we [-]kept blissfully ignorant[/-] impartial jurors could tell it was a waste of everyone's time, effort, and money.
I donated my $85 juror pay to The Meth Project.
We convicted him. I hope they got what they wanted, because as far as we [-]kept blissfully ignorant[/-] impartial jurors could tell it was a waste of everyone's time, effort, and money.
I donated my $85 juror pay to The Meth Project.
Buckeye
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
REWahoo
Give me a museum and I'll fill it. (Picasso) Give
Yikes! That's one nosy form...
Buckeye
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
I agree but I'm assuming they have to be able to profile the jurors to get the most out of the mock trial.
I can confirm the info does really go to law firms doing mock trials. Tonight is the night!
I feel like I have to dress up as it is on the 30th floor of a bank building in downtown.
Buckeye
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Did mock jury duty last night. 6pm-midnight for $110 and we earned every dollar! I am bound by confidentiality with regards to the details of the case but the process is what I found fascinating.
We first received a lecture about our responsibilities as jurors (21 of us/3 juries of 7 listening to the same case) and how the process was going to work. Each juror was known by their number and the whole group was addressed by the name of our county. The gentleman speaking was a PhD and the owner of the business but I never did learn what his PhD was in. He was probably in his early sixties. Very smart and knowledgeable and an excellent speaker.
Next step was the voire dire. It was done en masse and electronically. I don't know how many questions we answered but everyone was very fidgety and tired of sitting and bored by the time it was over. We each had a hand-held electronic device with a knob we turned to the number of our answer. The devices could be set instantaneously by the "control room" to go from 0-100 or from 1-2. It's a cool process because the lawyers can track the verdict of each juror and determine whether the juror they thought would be biased against them actually decided in their favor and vice versa.
The plaintiff's (car accident victim) lawyer gave his presentation, the defendant's (insurance company/other driver) attorney gave his presentation, and then the plaintiff's lawyer came back for rebuttal. During the presentation we relayed our impressions real-time by twisting the knob on the box. Start out at 50, dial above 50 if the lawyer is really scoring some points, dial below 50 if the lawyer is hurting his cause. I remember these being used during the debates during the last election. All this was being recorded and synched with what the lawyer was saying at that moment.
After the presentations were complete, each 7-person jury went to a separate room. Each of us filled out a verdict form and a questionnaire which included who won, any monetary awards, the best/worst evidence/arguments of each side, and what additional information we would have liked to have had prior to deciding the case. The papers were taken away and then we each spoke to a camera to recite our verdict, monetary award, what made us decide the way we did, and anything else external to the process that affected our decision.
We all stayed in the room together during the "interviews" so we heard the decision of the others and why they made the decision they made. Also, the lawyers got to hear exactly why each person had made their decision. I think it was also an excellent way to make sure everyone got heard prior to the group beginning it's deliberations. I had been appointed foreman of my row/jury earlier in the evening.
Deliberations went quickly because everyone found for the plaintiff. The plaintiff's lawyer presented a very fact-based case with plenty of evidence that was informative but not overly complicated. The defendant's attorney was thin on evidence and facts and presented arguments that are your worst nightmare of what an insurance company would say when denying your claim. I guess the plaintiff's attorney's presentation was a bit thin and convoluted because their position was weak. His reliance on emotion rather than evidence didn't help him.
We agreed on the monetary award pretty quickly even though we started with a large gap from low to high. It was getting close to midnight and everyone was tired and ready to go home so cooperation was the word.
The experience was interesting and I'm glad I did it. The process was more fascinating than the case. I would love to know how each side reacted to the results of the mock jury and what was the final outcome. I'm in the database and will be called whenever my demographics pop up again. I'm taking snacks next time!
I will never again complain about paying the premium for the umbrella policy or for the cost of the high liability limits required on my automobile insurance. Stuff happens.
We first received a lecture about our responsibilities as jurors (21 of us/3 juries of 7 listening to the same case) and how the process was going to work. Each juror was known by their number and the whole group was addressed by the name of our county. The gentleman speaking was a PhD and the owner of the business but I never did learn what his PhD was in. He was probably in his early sixties. Very smart and knowledgeable and an excellent speaker.
Next step was the voire dire. It was done en masse and electronically. I don't know how many questions we answered but everyone was very fidgety and tired of sitting and bored by the time it was over. We each had a hand-held electronic device with a knob we turned to the number of our answer. The devices could be set instantaneously by the "control room" to go from 0-100 or from 1-2. It's a cool process because the lawyers can track the verdict of each juror and determine whether the juror they thought would be biased against them actually decided in their favor and vice versa.
The plaintiff's (car accident victim) lawyer gave his presentation, the defendant's (insurance company/other driver) attorney gave his presentation, and then the plaintiff's lawyer came back for rebuttal. During the presentation we relayed our impressions real-time by twisting the knob on the box. Start out at 50, dial above 50 if the lawyer is really scoring some points, dial below 50 if the lawyer is hurting his cause. I remember these being used during the debates during the last election. All this was being recorded and synched with what the lawyer was saying at that moment.
After the presentations were complete, each 7-person jury went to a separate room. Each of us filled out a verdict form and a questionnaire which included who won, any monetary awards, the best/worst evidence/arguments of each side, and what additional information we would have liked to have had prior to deciding the case. The papers were taken away and then we each spoke to a camera to recite our verdict, monetary award, what made us decide the way we did, and anything else external to the process that affected our decision.
We all stayed in the room together during the "interviews" so we heard the decision of the others and why they made the decision they made. Also, the lawyers got to hear exactly why each person had made their decision. I think it was also an excellent way to make sure everyone got heard prior to the group beginning it's deliberations. I had been appointed foreman of my row/jury earlier in the evening.
Deliberations went quickly because everyone found for the plaintiff. The plaintiff's lawyer presented a very fact-based case with plenty of evidence that was informative but not overly complicated. The defendant's attorney was thin on evidence and facts and presented arguments that are your worst nightmare of what an insurance company would say when denying your claim. I guess the plaintiff's attorney's presentation was a bit thin and convoluted because their position was weak. His reliance on emotion rather than evidence didn't help him.
We agreed on the monetary award pretty quickly even though we started with a large gap from low to high. It was getting close to midnight and everyone was tired and ready to go home so cooperation was the word.
The experience was interesting and I'm glad I did it. The process was more fascinating than the case. I would love to know how each side reacted to the results of the mock jury and what was the final outcome. I'm in the database and will be called whenever my demographics pop up again. I'm taking snacks next time!
I will never again complain about paying the premium for the umbrella policy or for the cost of the high liability limits required on my automobile insurance. Stuff happens.
Htown Harry
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
- Joined
- May 13, 2007
- Messages
- 1,525
Buckeye, I would assume that one of the two parties in a real suit was paying for all of this. So that side's lawyer was real and the other side's "lawyer" was an actor.
Am I correct? Do you know (or have suspicions of) which was which?
Am I correct? Do you know (or have suspicions of) which was which?
Buckeye
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
We were told, and it is discussed on the website, these are the actual people (only the lawyers were there) involved in the case. The exercise serves as a method of dispute resolution without having to wait for your day in court but being able to feel that your case was judged by a jury of your peers.
At the completion of the exercise and after some data analysis, each side will understand how vulnerable they are to losing (and lo$ing big). Because everything is done so thoroughly, I think it would be difficult for either side to not seriously consider the results of the mock jury as being representative of what would happen in a real trial.
It felt real. There was definitely some tension between the two lawyers. They have been at it for 2 years. They were never in the room together but it was clear there was no love lost between the two of them.
At the completion of the exercise and after some data analysis, each side will understand how vulnerable they are to losing (and lo$ing big). Because everything is done so thoroughly, I think it would be difficult for either side to not seriously consider the results of the mock jury as being representative of what would happen in a real trial.
It felt real. There was definitely some tension between the two lawyers. They have been at it for 2 years. They were never in the room together but it was clear there was no love lost between the two of them.
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