Special guest! Jason Bloom, one of the nation’s leading jury consultants, talks about his experiences with jury selection during the COVID-19 pandemic. From that foundation, he and I talk about issues likely to arise as jury trials return to reopening courthouses across the country. They include:
- A surprising eagerness of people to show up and serve on juries, in part driven by widespread feelings of frustration after months of shutdown;
- Concern about what Jason calls the “massive exercise in confirmation bias” that potential jurors bring to the courthouse with them, depending on how restricted a juror’s information sources may be;
- The once-obscure psychological terms “ultracrepidarian” and “pareidolia” (you have to listen to the podcast to explore those terms’ meaning :));
- Remembering that 2020 changed potential jurors not only because of COVID, but because of Black Lives Matter, the Biden-Trump election and its aftermath, etc.
- And a reminder that jury service—unlike the similar civic-engagement exercise of voting—forces jurors to form a consensus among their different beliefs; and
- Why 1-page written questionnaires for potential jurors may be particularly useful now in light of the above issues.
For information on Jason, his background, and his outstanding jury consultation services, please visit his website.