Practical Jury Dynamics2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Foreword
10 Practical Features of this Book

Prologue
Forethoughts to the Second Edition

PART I: STUDYING JURORS
Chapter 1. KNOWING JURORS
§ 1-1. Three Jury Epiphanies
§ 1-2. The Mystery of Jury Deliberations
§ 1-3. The Problems of Jury Research
§ 1-3(a). The Effects of Deliberating
§ 1-3(b). Criticism of Jury Research Designs

PART II: THE BIO-PHYSIOLOGY OF A JUROR’S BRAIN
Chapter 2. THE MIND IS A CRAZY QUILT
§ 2-1. The Crowd Living in a Juror’s Mind
§ 2-2. How a Juror Becomes Aware of a “Fact.”
§ 2-2(a). Brain Facts/Mind Facts
§ 2-2(b). Mind Spinning
§ 2-3. Juror Listening and Attention Errors
§ 2-3(a). Cognitive Busyness
§ 2-3(b). Juror Listening Errors
§ 2-3(c). Divided Attention
§ 2-4. Biological Basis for Attention

Chapter 3. “TRIALS” ARE IN THE BRAINS OF THE BEHOLDERS
§ 3-1. The Influence of Color Perception
§ 3-2. Remembering and Forgetting
§ 3-2(a). Raw Sensory Memory
§ 3-2(b). Short-term Memory
§ 3-2(c). Long-term Retrievable Memory
§ 3-2(d). Homo narrans
§ 3-2(e). Person Memory
§ 3-2(f). The Generation Effect
§ 3-2(g). The Self-Reference Effect
§ 3-2(h). Memory Stress
§ 3-2(i). Flashbulb Memory
§ 3-2(j). Never-Happened Memory
§ 3-2(k). Memory After Forty
§ 3-2(l). Memory Talk

Chapter 4. RIGHT MIND/LEFT MIND? HOW OUR BRAIN’S HEMISPHERES REALLY FUNCTION
§ 4-1. Right Mind/Left Mind
§ 4-2. Regions of the Brain That Process Language

Chapter 5. FROM JUROR-COGNITION TO JUROR-EMOTION
§ 5-1. The Purpose of Emotions in Human Survival
§ 5-2. Physiology of Jurors’ Emotions When They Judge Other People’s Behaviors
§ 5-3. How Emotional Arousal Impacts Juror Thinking about Other People
§ 5-4. The Vividness Effect: Sensual Persuasion
§ 5-4(a). Picture Superiority
§ 5-4(b). Word Vividness
§ 5-4(c). Persuade the Juror’s Body
§ 5-4(d). The Vividness of Toys
§ 5-5. The Velcro® Effect
§ 5-6. The Effects of Juror Mood on Juror Reasoning
§ 5-6(a). Mood and Memory
§ 5-6(b). Mood and Decision Making Style
§ 5-7. Deliberating Under the Influence of Stress
§ 5-8. The Effect of Stress on Citizens Selected for Jury Duty
§ 5-9. Anxiety: A Traveling Companion of Juror Stress
§ 5-10. The Effect of Sleep Debt on Juror Competency

Chapter 6. BELIEFS AND THINKING
§ 6-1. Biology of Beliefs
§ 6-2. A Juror’s TiVo® Mind
§ 6-2(a). Automatic Search, Record, and Fast-forward Come Standard
§ 6-2(b). Teaching Jurors How to Use their TiVo® Brains
§ 6-3. Religious Beliefs
§ 6-4. The God Factor
§ 6-4(a). Religion: Spiritual Lens for Judging Other People
§ 6-4(b). National Groups with Activist Spiritual Missions
§ 6-5. Differences that Make a Difference in Juror Thinking
§ 6-6. Juror Thinking about God and Science

Chapter 7. THINKING UNAWARE
§ 7-1. Blink
§ 7-1(a). The Ick Factor
§ 7-1(b). Juror Blink
§ 7-1(c). Blink and Nonjurors
§ 7-1(d). Issue-Specific Blink
§ 7-1(e). Blink and Voir Dire
§ 7-2. Mental Leaps
§ 7-2(a). Expanding a Juror’s Internal Thinking Criteria
§ 7-2(b). Creating Successful Mental Leaps

PART III: THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF A JUROR’S PERCEPTIONS
Chapter 8. FROM A FOCUS ON SELLING TOWARDS A FOCUS ON BUYING
§ 8-1. Information Anxiety
§ 8-1(a). The Trial Practitioner’s Anxiety Checklist
§ 8-1(b). The Unavoidable Selectivity of Perception
§ 8-1(c). Ten Sources of Evidence-Anxiety for Jurors
§ 8-1(d). Information Hat Racks
§ 8-2. Creating Empty Spaces as Evidence
§ 8-3. Toxic Language
§ 8-3(a). Sentence Structures Affect Juror Comprehension
§ 8-3(b). Negative Words
§ 8-3(c). The Framing Effect
§ 8-3(d). Toxic Court Words

Chapter 9. HOW THE JUROR’S BRAIN TALKS TO ITSELF DURING TRIAL
§ 9-1. Mental Filters and Misperceptions
§ 9-2. Social Perception: What a Juror Sees Is What You Get
§ 9-3. Mental Short-Cuts a Juror Uses in Perception
§ 9-4. The Influence of Juror Categories and Schemas

Chapter 10. A JUROR’S SOCIAL THINKING: How a Juror Makes Sense of the Behaviors of Other People
§ 10-1. Social Thinking and Juror Decision Making
§ 10-2. Juror Attributions
§ 10-3. The Effect of Novel Events
§ 10-4. Fundamental Attribution Error
§ 10-5. False Consensus Error
§ 10-6. False Uniqueness Error
§ 10-7. Attributions of Blame
§ 10-8. Locus of Control
§ 10-9. Cracked Perceptual Lenses
§ 10-10. A Practical Approach to Gaining Access to Juror Attitudes
§ 10-10(a). Model for Measuring Strength and Extremity of Juror Attitude on Specific Trial Issues
§ 10-10(b). Voir Dire Question Formats that Elicit Juror Attitude

Chapter 11. THE DILEMMA OF A JUROR’S UN-THINKING TASK
§ 11-1. Intrusive Thoughts
§ 11-2. Controlled Un-Believing
§ 11-3. A Juror’s Cognitive Load
§ 11-4. The Bad Experience Closet
§ 11-4(a). “Set that Experience Aside!” Where Do Jurors Put It?
§ 11-4(b). Prejudice
§ 11-4(b)(1). Activating Prejudice
§ 11-4(b)(2). The Impossibility of Setting Prejudice Aside
§ 11-5. The Set-it-Aside Agenda

Chapter 12. IMPERFECT THINKING
§ 12-1. Machine-Thinking
§ 12-2. Wabi-Sabi Minds
§ 12-3. Thinking in Paradox
§ 12-3(a). Unavoidable Paradox
§ 12-3(b). Paradox of Choice

Chapter 13. SYMBOLIC THINKING
§ 13-1. God Words and Devil Words
§ 13-2. Metaphor and Thought
§ 13-2(a). Metaphoric Thinking
§ 13-2(b). Speaking in Metaphor
§ 13-2(c). Types of Metaphoric Talk
§ 13-2(d). Complex Metaphoric Phrases

PART IV: THE EFFECTS OF GROUP DYNAMICS ON A JUROR’S VOTE
Chapter 14. THE WORK OF JURY WORK: WHEN INDIVIDUAL JURORS BECOME A GROUP
§ 14-1. The Faulty Norms of Jury Deliberations
§ 14-2. Changing the Way Jurors Deliberate
§ 14-2(a). Strange Rules Jurors Create During Deliberations
§ 14-2(b). The Geography of Seating Positions
§ 14-2(c). Why Some Jurors End Up More Equal than Others
§ 14-2(d). Deadlock Phobia
§ 14-2(d)(1). Dynamite!
§ 14-2(e). Five O’ Clock Verdicts
§ 14-2(f). The Voting-Structure Effect
§ 14-2(g). What Counts as Evidence?
§ 14-2(h). The Toxic Agenda Effect
§ 14-2(i). From List-Makers to Dialogue-Lovers
§ 14-2(j)(1). Jointly Reconstructing the Past
§ 14-2(j)(2). Social Memory Contamination

Chapter 15. SOCIAL VERDICTS (THE RELATIONAL SIDE OF JURY DECISION-MAKING)
§ 15-1. Symbolic Convergence Theory: Groups and Fantasies
§ 15-2. Social Opinions
§ 15-3. Social Cliques
§ 15-4. Primary Tension and Secondary Tension: What Blocks the Jury’s Task?
§ 15-5. Mars and Venus Deliberate—Gender in the Jury Room
§ 15-6. Salads, Stews, and Surprising Effects of Juror Diversity

Chapter 16. EMOTIONAL DELIBERATIONS
§ 16-1. Emotional Persuasion
§ 16-2. Laughing on the Road to a Verdict
§ 16-3. Effects of Emotion on Juror Mood
§ 16-4. Emotional Argument
§ 16-5. Angry Argument: All People Are Afraid of the Anger of Others
§ 16-6. Emotional Pollution
§ 16-7. Groupmood

Chapter 17. JUROR COMPETENCY
§ 17-1. A Juror’s Trial Task (Competent to do what, exactly?)
§ 17-1(a). Every Juror’s Job: Witnessing
§ 17-1(b). Juror Job Strain
§ 17-2. Juiced Jurors
§ 17-2(a). Challenging Medicated Jurors
§ 17-2(b). Guide to Side Effects of Commonly-Prescribed Medications
§ 17-3. Multitasking Jurors
§ 17-4. Fluctuating Competency
§ 17-5. Juror Accommodation
§ 17-6(a). Managing Disability in the Courtroom
§ 17-6(b). The Disability Accommodation Guide for State Courts

Chapter 18. JUROR COMPASSION
§ 18-1. Compassion in the Courtroom
§ 18-1(a). In Search of Samaritans
§ 18-1(b). What Do We Know About Prosocial Helping Behavior?
§ 18-1(c). The Juror-Bystander Effect
§ 18-2. Measuring Compassion
§ 18-2(a). Questionnaires
§ 18-2(b). Dialogues (Voir Dire)

Chapter 19. THE SHADOW SIDE OF JURY DECISION MAKING
§ 19-1. Grouphate
§ 19-2. Social Loafing
§ 19-3. Missing in Action! Jurors Who Disappear in the Jury Room
§ 19-4. Toxic Jurors
§ 19-5. Seizing Speaking Turns
§ 19-6. What Really Happens When One Juror Leaves the Room
§ 19-7. Improperly Speculating
§ 19-8. Ignoring Misconduct of Fellow Jurors
§ 19-9. The Shadow Side of Jury Leadership
§ 19-9(a). The First Act of Inequality
§ 19-9(b). Mutiny! Functional Leadership for All
§ 19-10. The Consensus Disease

Chapter 20. DECISIONAL REGRET IN THE JURY ROOM
§ 20-1. Juror Overconfidence
§ 20-1(a). Natural Bases of Juror Decision Biases
§ 20-2. Counterfactual Thinking: Changing the Facts
§ 20-3. Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda Minefields
§ 20-4. Why Deliberations Are a Set-Up for Woulda/Coulda/Shoulda Thinking
§ 20-5. A Storied Theory of Jury Deliberations
§ 20-6. Regret Contagion, GroupRegret, and Decisional Avoidance
§ 20-7. Story Plugs
§ 20-8. Coherence-Based Reasoning Theory

Chapter 21. RE-THINKING
§ 21-1. Juror Flipping
§ 21-2. Ignoring Regret
§ 21-3. If-Only Thinking
§ 21-4. Binge-Think
§ 21-4(a). Juror Thinking Binges
§ 21-4(b). The Binge-Think Hangover
§ 21-4(c). The Binge-Think Intervention

Chapter 22. STORY-THINKING AND FANTASIES DURING DELIBERATIONS
§ 22-1. The Storymaking-Mind of a Juror
§ 22-2. Story Battles in Deliberation
§ 22-3. Opening the Jury Room’s Door: Making Sense of the Story Battles
§ 22-4. Storytelling Functions in Deliberations
§ 22-5. When Fantasies Collide: Symbolic Convergence Theory and Jury Decision Making
§ 22-6. Story Strategies for Attorneys
§ 22-6(a). Storying Opening Statements
§ 22-6(b). Storying Closing Arguments
§ 22-6(c). Story Prompting

Chapter 23. JURY-JOINING
§ 23-1. Collaborative Dialogues: How to Discuss What Matters Most
§ 23-2. Non-Question Voir Dire
§ 23-3. Collaborating on Solutions
§ 23-4. Collaborative Challenges for Cause
§ 23-4(a). General Legal Principals
§ 23-4(b). Juror Signals of Challengability
§ 23-4(c). Template for Walking with a Juror on the Challenge-for-Cause Trail
§ 23-5. Collaborative Closing Arguments

Chapter 24. OPENING WINDOWS TO THE BLACK BOX OF JURY DELIBERATIONS
§ 24-1. Curing Ignorance about Jurors’ Rights
§ 24-2. Reasons Jurors Think They Shouldn’tCommunicate with the Judge
§ 24-3. Gaining An Ear to the Jury Wall
§ 24-4. Why Jurors Protect Bad Jurors
§ 24-5. Toxic Bailiffs: The Virus Every Jury Is Exposed To
§ 24-6. Exposing the Myths of Juries and Jurors

PART V: TRIAL CULTURE
Chapter 25 NEW TOOLS FOR EVERY TRIAL
§ 25-1. How a Juror Listens to an Expert’s Opinion
§ 25-1(a). Understanding the Expert Mind and Adapting the Attack
§ 25-1(b). Expert Voir Dire: The Template
§ 25-1(c). Expert Voir Dire: Valid Attacks
§ 25-1(d). Expert Voir Dire: Framing the Attack for a Juror
§ 25-2. Organizing Juror Information
§ 25-2(a). The Key Case Question
§ 25-2(b). Four Juror Answers That Always Matter
§ 25-2(c). The Juror Information Sheet [Templates]
§ 25-3. Jury Markers
§ 25-4. Practical Juror Motions
§ 25-4(a). What Kind of Motion Can Be Made?
§ 25-4(b). Sample Jury Motions
§ 25-5. Tools for Learning About Jury Pools

Chapter 26. STRUCTURES THAT INFLUENCE THINKING
§ 26-1. Jury Studies: Updates
§ 26-1(a). Jury Instructions
§ 26-1(b). Own Race Bias
§ 26-1(c). Personal Injury Damage Awards
§ 26-1(d). Expectation Effects
§ 26-1(e). Lay Representations of Legal Concepts
§ 26-1(f). Effect of Judicial Warnings During Trial
§ 26-1(g). Reading Minds of Others (Mental States)
§ 26-1(h). How Jurors Use/Misuse Character Evidence
§ 26-1(i). Notetaking
§ 26-1(j). Hearing and Believing Hearsay Evidence
§ 26-1(k). Juror Thinking About Witness Memory
§ 26-1(l). Effects of Defendant Conduct on Jury Thinking About Damage Awards
§ 26-2. Jury Reform
§ 26-2(a). ABA 2005 Principles for Juries and Jury Trial
§ 26-2(b). Reform Structures Missing from the ABA Principles

Chapter 27. THINKING UPSIDE DOWN
§ 27-1. When Jurors Rebut Your Closing
§ 27-2. PlayingAttention with the Final Act of Jurying

Chapter 28. PAYING ATTENTION TO THE COMPLEX CULTURE OF TRIALS
§ 28-1. Enculturation: How Jurors Get Sucked Into a Strange System
§ 28-2. Twenty Stressful Realities of a Juror’s Experience

Chapter 29. THE ELECTRONIC-MEDIATED JUROR
§ 29-1. The Google™ Effect
§ 29-2. Cell Phones
§ 29-3. Social Network Sites as Unconfronted Trial Evidence
§ 29-4. The Blog Effect

Chapter 30. REDUCING TOXIC TRIAL STRESS
§ 30-1. Avoiding The Helper’s Pit
§ 30-2. Empathy-Driven versusDistress-Driven Advocacy
§ 30-3. Ever Aftering, in Practical Ways
§ 30-3(a). The Janus Effect

APPENDICES: RESOURCES, BOOKS, MATERIALS, TOOLS
Principles For Juries And Jury Trials, American Jury Project
Principle 1 – The Right To Jury Trial Shall Be Preserved
Principle 2 – Citizens Have The Right To Participate In Jury Service And Their Service Should Be Facilitated
Principle 3 – Juries Should Have 12 Members
Principle 4 – Jury Decisions Should Be Unanimous
Principle 5 – It Is The Duty Of The Courts To Enforce And Protect The Rights To Jury Trial And Jury Service
Principle 6 – Courts Should Educate Jurors Regarding The Essential Aspects Of A Jury Trial
Principle 7 – Courts Should Protect Juror Privacy Insofar As Consistent With The Requirements Of Justice And The Public Interest
Principle 8 – Individuals Selected To Serve On A Jury Have An Ongoing Interest In Completing Their Service
Principle 9 – Courts Should Conduct Jury Trials In The Venue Required By Applicable Law Or The Interests Of Justice
Principle 10 – Courts Should Use Open, Fair And Flexible Procedures To Select A Representative Pool Of Prospective Jurors
Principle 11 – Courts Should Ensure That The Process Used To Empanel Jurors Effectively Serves The Goal Of Assembling A Fair And Impartial Jury
Principle 12 – Courts Should Limit The Length Of Jury Trials Insofar As Justice Allows And Jurors Should Be Fully Informed Of The Trial Schedule Established
Principle 13 – The Court And Parties Should Vigorously Promote Juror Understanding Of The Facts And The Law
Principle 14 –The Court Should Instruct The Jury In Plain And Understandable Language Regarding The Applicable Law And The Conduct Of Deliberations
Principle 15 – Courts And Parties Have A Duty To Facilitate Effective And Impartial Deliberations
Principle 16 – Deliberating Jurors Should Be Offered Assistance When An Apparent Impasse Is Reported
Principle 17 – Trial And Appellate Courts Should Afford Jury Decisions The Greatest Deference Consistent With Law
Principle 18 – Courts Should Give Jurors Legally Permissible Post-Verdict Advice And Information
Principle 19 – Appropriate Inquiries Into Allegations Of Juror Misconduct Should Be Promptly Undertaken By The Trial Court

Resources and Tools
Browse the Stacks
Gratitudes
Who Is the Author?
Endnotes
Index

SunWolf

DR. SUNWOLF is a former trial attorney and consultant, now a teaching-scholar at Santa Clara University, where her courses include group dynamics, conflict, relationships, and social influence. Published in 2007, PRACTICAL JURY DYNAMICS2, the second edition of her groundbreaking 2004 book PRACTICAL JURY DYNAMICS, continues Dr. SunWolf's work on juries by covering such cutting-edge topics as juror Googling & texting, forming cliques, daydreaming, etc.

JURY THINKING adds to our need for innovative thinking about a juror's world by offering original concepts, including "binge-thinking," a juror's TiVo mind, metaphoric thinking, the effects of religious beliefs, and how jury reform impacts a juror's complex trial task.

Dr. SunWolf is the originator of Decisional Regret Theory, which explains how jurors cope with the anxiety of anticipated verdict-regret by telling one another counterfactual stories about the case during deliberations. Professor SunWolf is also a Visiting Professor at Santa Clara School of Law, teaching a new course: Jury Law & Strategies which may be the first law course in the nation that is devoted exclusively to thinking about jurors.