If your future is in the hands of a jury, you are undoubtedly wondering what jurors think as evidence and witnesses are offered up in a trial. How supportive are they of a defense attorney’s argument? How influential is a specific piece of evidence? It is a multifaceted and ever-changing puzzle that attorneys are relentlessly working to predict and understand.
A Juror’s Background
Everyone is a blend of their history and experiences. Jurors come to the task with their own feelings, passions, and predispositions, and each piece of evidence in a trial will be filtered through those biases. Although jurors are instructed to reach their conclusions based only on the factual evidence presented in court, it’s impossible to know just how much power their backgrounds will exert on their thinking. For example:
- Most people have preexisting views about the justice system, police officers, race, gender, sexual orientation, and more, even if that bias is not a conscious thing.
- Financial standing, education, employment status, living arrangement, and even zip code can sometimes be a window into a particular person’s worldview.
- Sometimes ,jurors may be experiencing personal stress in their personal lives that impacts their views and emotions.
- Past experiences will have led to emotional inclinations or predeterminations for or against certain people or circumstances.
- Some people may be deeply empathic and will sympathize so entirely with one party that they cannot view a situation with a logical perspective.
Cognitive Bias
Another aspect of the way jurors evaluate a case is the degree of cognitive bias. Some jurors may seize on evidence that validates their existing beliefs, while others may be heavily impacted by first impressions and be closed off to later revelations in a trial. Still others may zero in on a specific positive (or negative) quality in a person and be unable to see any other side to that person.
Voir Dire
The voir dire process is the opportunity for attorneys to select jurors for a particular trial. Lawyers for each side have the chance to question each potential juror, and they do so with an eye toward any bias that may impact a juror’s ability to weigh the evidence in an impartial manner.
What Impacts Thinking?
How can a juror’s mind be swayed? In addition to the facts of a case, the presentation style of attorneys is critical. Additionally, each witness will be viewed as either credible or self-serving. Finally, the deportment of the defendant will be scrutinized. In some cases, prior knowledge about a case will influence a juror’s thinking. In a best-case scenario, the judge’s instructions will have the weightiest impact and will guide each juror to a fair and impartial assessment of the facts, overshadowing any previous biases.
Fighting for You
The dedicated and experienced criminal defense attorneys at Boertje & Associates always fight for the best possible outcomes for our clients. To discuss your situation, schedule a confidential consultation in our San Diego office today.