The Black and White of Jury Selection
The Andrews discuss a recent research paper sent to us by friend-of-the-show Kasia Cristobal. Its an eye opening report on the effect jury selection has on the outcome of a trial. As defenders, we all know that voir dire is the most important phase of trial; often your case is won in this initial stage. This report, “Examining Bias in Jury Selection for Criminal Trials in Dallas County” provides hard data for defenders to see exactly how important this phase is. Hopefully all of us are considering the “ideal” jury for our cases as part of a defense; unfortunately, this means taking into account the racial makeup of a jury.