Georgia County Institutes New Summoning Process and Addresses Pandemic Era Scams
Fulton is the most populous county in the Peach State. As virtual jury selection is the current norm, county leaders have instituted a summonsing postcard process whereby a juror would receive a postcard in the mail that contains a QR code and a website address. The juror can then either scan the QR code, or they can go to the website that will provide them with the information they need. Then, on the day summoned, they would use the Zoom credentials they're provided to log in for the virtual jury process. In a press release, the county warns residents about a scam whereby fake sheriff officers cold call citizens asking for money to pay for rescheduling their jury trial date.
Some Pandemic Era Trial Methods May Be Here to Stay
Veteran trial lawyer Stuart Ratzan chairs the American Board of Trial Advocates’ Miami COVID-19 Jury Trial Task Force. He suggests in a Law 360 piece that once the pandemic passes, some parts of jury trials should remain on a virtual platform. For example, in response to attorney complaints that virtual jury selection hampers one’s ability read body language and assess juror biases, Ratzan argues virtual voir dire can be perennially useful to prescreen jurors who claim hardships, financial difficulties, prepaid vacations, and the like. Virtual prescreening of these citizens before the day of trial can create conveniences for citizens and time efficiencies for case management.
Chauvin Prosecutor Explains His Jury Trial Strategy
Jerry Blackwell, a private law practitioner who was brought in as special prosecutor in the Chauvin case, shared some of his trial methods, trial surprises, and jury selection strategies in an interview with Law 360.
Alabama Juror Explains Why Jury Found a Cop Guilty of Murder
Last week a Madison County (Huntsville) jury convicted police officer William Darby of murder. After Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle and Huntsville Police Chief Mark McMurray lambasted the verdict, one juror felt compelled to give a lengthy interview to CBS TV News 19. The juror ended with, “I really needed to get it off my chest because this has not been easy. Nobody volunteered to be on this jury. I didn’t want to go there Monday morning and I certainly didn’t expect it to be a case like this. I didn’t think I would be selected, but here we are today. I am sickened by some of the comments I see that stem from ignorance or straight up malfeasance in the case of the mayor and police chief. I guess I can understand if you disagree with the verdict, but that is an unintelligent and uninformed position unless you have all of the evidence and have seen all of the videos yourself. I don’t really have any great words of wisdom and I don’t intend to be some absolute source of truth on this matter (this is all recounted from my memory). As I said in the beginning, I just want to clear the air.”
What Does an Argentine Criminal Jury Trial Look (and Sound) Like?
The Bulletin has regularly reported on the establishment and conduct of jury trials in Argentina. We now share this report on a recent trial in Mendoza.
U.S. Fourth Circuit Allows Fraud Convictions of Former West Virginia Chief Justice to Remain in Effect
Charleston’s ABC News Channel 8 reports an evenly divided en banc panel was deadlocked at 4 to 4 regarding former justice Allen Loughry’s claim that there was juror misconduct during the trial. The panel’s action took the form of a terse per curiam order stating the names of the participating judges.