Hamilton Zephyrhawke Trial Consulting
Each case an attorney takes on involves new jury unknowns. How do jurors feel about giant firms, regional employers, and drug safety? How are Central District and Northern District jurors different? What auto- or accident-related experiences might affect how they vote in an auto defect case? Has public opinion affected how they judge the case? By answering these questions, lawyers can construct an informed lawsuit strategy.
Given this site’s topic, polls should aid in this area. Due to the large sample size of jury-qualified players in each survey, they are a tried-and-true way to research jurors in specific venues and build a juror profile for improving voir dire and panel de-selection strategies (usually greater than 200).
Clients find the Community Attitude Survey and Change of Venue Survey helpful. Each has various goals and tactics, which we’ll examine below.
Using A Public Sentiment Survey To Gauge Juror Reactions
Community-attitude questions Surveys ask jurors about the case. They comprise closed and ajar questions about jurors’ perspectives and experiences, including political leanings, industry views, and case knowledge. These phone surveys are delivered to hundreds of people. A community polling data questions respondents about the case’s main characters and concerns and how much they have heard in the media.
Because it’s hard for strangers to gauge a location’s vibe, a subjective poll among a specified group might provide information about the possible jury pool. A Community Attitude Survey in emerging venues could compare jurors’ attitudes, attitudes, and responses in these new locations with those in older media for litigation concerning more recent topics, like talc. What if these cases haven’t been heard? By completing a Community Attitude Survey, the trial team can learn the expected jury pool composition and the most convincing arguments to present during the first trial.
Imagine litigation involving ground and marine pollution in which a local corporation is accused of jeopardizing citizens’ health. How likely are jurors to punish the company? Will they protect those who feed them and their families?
We surveyed 500 possible jurors for a comparable case. We asked about the incident and the suing parties in a Community Attitudes Survey. Respondents were given scenarios explaining plaintiff and defense claims and asked to assign guilt and choose a side. Most study responders blamed both huge companies for the contamination. Attitude varied depending on respondents’ oil and gas sector and party knowledge. We used this information to construct a prediction and analyze for voir dire and jury contra to avoid picking jurors unfavorable to our client’s case.
