"Never forget, almost every case has been won or lost when the jury is sworn." - Clarence Darrow 1936
"The change of a single juror in the composition of the jury could change the result." - Ter Keurst v. Miami Elevator Co., 486 So. 2d 547 (Fla. 1986), Justice Adkins, Dissenting
"Trial by jury is the best of all safeguards for the person and property of every individual." - Thomas Jefferson
Going further than his predecessor was willing to go, California Governor Jerry Brown has criminalized juror tweeting. Under AB 141, which will go into effect on January 1, 2012, any juror who willfully disobeys the court admonishment against any form of communication or research about the case, including tweeting, may be sent to jail for contempt. Courts already tell jurors not to talk about an ongoing trial, but under the new […]
October 31, 2011
As you all know, the annual FJA Jury Selection Seminar is this Friday in Miami. If you have a jury selection problem or a particular area of concern in an upcoming jury trial, send me an email by this Wednesday, and I will make sure one of our speakers addresses it during the program. This should be a great seminar. The agenda and speakers are as follows: Program Co-Chairs: Robert […]
October 24, 2011
The once-a-year FJA Jury Selection Seminar is going to take place a week from this Friday at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami. This year’s seminar is part of the two-day Masters of Justice Program. If you are a trial lawyer who understands the importance of voir dire in the outcome of your trial, you won’t want to miss this year’s presentation on the latest jury selection techniques and case-law. The […]
October 18, 2011
Last week the Fourth District Court of Appeal reinstated a $4.9 million dollar jury verdict against State Farm Insurance Company in a UM case that had been set aside by the trial judge on the grounds of “juror non-disclosure” about the juror’s prior litigation history. In Gamsen v State Farm, 36 FLW D1630A (Fla 4th DCA 2011), the appellate court held that State Farm’s counsel had “quite simply” not asked […]
August 1, 2011
A single mistake in jury selection can result in an entire new trial. Nowhere is that truer than in the area of “Neil Challenges” and peremptory strikes. A mistake there is usually reversible error per se. In Garcia v. State , 75 So. 3d 871 (Fla 3rd DCA 2010), the Defense wanted to exercise a peremptory strike on a prospective juror. The trial judge would not allow it. The prospective juror […]
November 2, 2010
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