We Have a 2023 Munsterman Award Winner
After careful review of nominees, the National Center for State Courts enthusiastically announces Arizona Superior Court Judge Pamela Gates is the recipient of the 2023 G. Thomas Munsterman Award for Jury Innovation for her efforts to change jury service by improving the juror experience and alleviating financial obstacles. Another contributing fact was her leadership of a task force of judges, lawyers, court staff, and researchers seeking to modify jury selection practices following the elimination of peremptory challenges in Arizona courts. Please visit this press release for more information. Congratulations, Judge Gates.
Judge Disparages Jurors in Texts from Courtroom
The New York Times reports Oklahoma Chief Justice M. John Kane IV recommends removal of Judge Traci Soderstrom after a courtroom camera and other sources demonstrated she exchanged more than 500 text messages with her bailiff during a murder trial. The article includes an overhead camera shot of her cell phone usage and excerpts of her texts mocking the physical appearance of lawyers, witnesses, and jurors.
Jury Trial Veterans Comment on Claims Mr. Trump Cannot Get Fair Trial in D.C.
In the aftermath of former President Donald Trump's claims that he cannot get a fair trial in politically deep blue Washington, D.C., there is a courtroom battle underway regarding what type of demographic research can be done by jury trial consultants hired by the parties. In a piece published in Politico Magazine, a former federal prosecutor and seasoned trial consultants parse the pros and cons of the prosecutor’s request that the trial judge restrict Mr. Trump’s ability to conduct any jury research in the District and to require the court’s approval before going out into the field with any studies. The trial consultants also explain how they would conduct such field studies if they were involved in the case.
Trial Judge Praises Use of AI for Mock Jury Trial Exercises
Louisiana district judge Scott Schlegel authored an article in Legal Tech praising the use of AI in trial preparation. Among other things, he opines, “One of the standout features of using ChatGPT for a mock juror exercise is the ability to customize the legal context. Before presenting the facts of the case, lawyers can input the relevant laws and statutes that would apply, thereby providing the AI with a framework to base its assessment upon. This ensures that the simulated juror's deliberations are aligned with the specific legal criteria of the case at hand.”
How to Protect Juror Privacy When Their Questionnaire Answers Are Sought?
Roger Stone, a close associate of former President Donald Trump, was indicted on January 24, 2019, in connection with the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller into possible interference by the Russian government in the 2016 presidential election. The indictment charged one count of obstructing a congressional proceeding, one count of witness tampering with respect to that proceeding, and five counts of making false statements to Congress. A federal jury in the District of Columbia convicted him on all counts in November 2019. Mr. Stone appealed his conviction but later withdrew the appeal after then President Trump granted him clemency. Years later, several journalists recently asked the trial judge to release the jurors’ answers to written questionnaires used during jury selection. If you were a juror in such a politically charged case, how would you feel about that request? What, if anything, should a court do for jurors? Here’s one answer: To aid the court “in the full and fair resolution” of the journalists’ motion, the Stone case trial judge Amy Berman Jackson appointed a lawyer to represent jurors who retain him ex parte and under seal. See, Minute Order, In Re: Juror Questionnaires in United States v Stone, Misc. Action No. 20-0016. She eventually denied release of the questionnaires.