R. Robert Samples News
ALL THINGS JURY: West Virginia: Nation's worst legal climate?
Last week's announcement by Chesapeake Energy Corp. that it has stopped plans to build a new Eastern Division Headquarters facility in Charleston was a serious blow to the local, and state, economies.
ALL THINGS JURY: Looking forward with post-trial juror interviews
One of the most effective research methods in a trial consultant's toolbox is the post-trial interview with members of the actual jury panel.
ALL THINGS JURY: Why 'junk' science works
The term "junk" science has been around for several years now. A working definition for the term is "faulty scientific data and analysis used to advance special, or hidden, agendas."
ALL THINGS JURY: Juries are sheep?
The longer I practice in the jury research arena, the more I appreciate that psychology and sociology are as much art as science. I have also come to realize how little we really understand about predicting human behavior. Having said that, there are some axioms that are, at least, general guideposts in the practice of understanding jury, and juror, behavior.
ALL THINGS JURY: The benefits of early jury research
Samples More often than not, clients and litigators contact a jury consultant once they believe that a trial is imminent. They view jury research as an important exercise to ready their case for trial and to assess the level of risk associated with trying the case to a jury decision.
ALL THINGS JURY: Company image impacts 'jury think'
When a company faces a lawsuit and a trial by jury, its reputation becomes very important to the outcome of a trial.
ALL THINGS JURY: The importance of key witnesses
You are about to call your "key" witness to the stand. How confident are you that jurors will react favorably? Without extensive preparation, you can't be sure.
ALL THINGS JURY: What's up with West Virginia juries?
A corporation and its team of lawyers think they have a winning case.
ALL THINGS JURY: The importance of qualitative research in jury consulting
CHARLESTON -- In my last column, I discussed the relevance of quantitative surveys in jury research in which telephone surveys are used to elicit responses to individual questions giving the client projectionable results.
ALL THINGS JURY: Do telephone surveys still work?
One of the concerns we hear frequently is whether traditional public opinion polling still works in today's cell phone and Internet world.
ALL THINGS JURY: Begin with non-adversarial focus groups
Samples "Get started early." "Just do it." "Do it now." These sentiments are excellent applications for so much of our personal and professional lives. In terms of preparing a case for litigation, early research efforts are also a key to success.
ALL THINGS JURY: Trial research is communications research
Samples CHARLESTON -- The growth and evolution of the trial research profession has been explosive over the past several years.
ALL THINGS JURY: The jury selection process: Science on your side
Samples There are many lawyers who feel that picking a jury is half the battle in winning a trial. Identifying and selecting jurors who will be sympathetic to your client's case can certainly have a major impact on the outcome.
ALL THINGS JURY: Change of Venue opportunities are often overlooked
A fair and impartial trial is, of course, a primary tenant of our legal system. But in high profile cases (both criminal and civil), this right could be compromised. Publicity surrounding the case may be extensive, and/or the principals may be very well-known in the community.
All Things Jury: Predicting damages not the best use of jury research
Samples CHARLESTON -- Jury research is a powerful tool if properly utilized. When designing a research project, experienced researchers focus on the issues that are best addressed through the research process, while recognizing its limitations.
ALL THINGS JURY: Providing new information requires a different research technique
Complexity. There is a wide gap between trial research and traditional marketing research. Typically, survey research asks participants to respond to questions that are short and straightforward: Which candidate do you favor? Which bank is your primary banking institution? How often do you access the Internet? Both question and answer are simple, "cut and dried."
ALL THINGS JURY: Jury research as standard practice?
Samples Due diligence. Preparation. Undoubtedly, this is the most important responsibility that counsel owes to his or her client.
ALL THINGS JURY: In-venue jury research?
Samples CHARLESTON -- Jury tampering. Biasing the jury pool. These are serious offenses that no law firm wants to be associated with.
All Things Jury: Dear litigator
Dear Litigator: I regret to inform you that the jury has decided against your client, Big Business. Your client has been found guilty of negligence. Your client has been hit with a very large award to the plaintiff. It seems that, even though your client claims innocence, the jury simply felt your client should have known better.
ALL THINGS JURY: Sell the Story
Samples When preparing for any kind of presentation, litigators-like all public speakers-must give major consideration to the audience to which they are speaking. The last thing any public speaker wants to do is lose an audience.