The Selection of Juries and Trial Consultants - Essay Example

Having a psychologist or jury specialist focus on the prospective jurists and the selection process offers a better outcome than relying on their skills alone. Scientific jury selection improves the outcome of the trial depending on the type of case according to research conducted by Seltzer (2006). Many factors influence a jury’s decision and the type of case is only one, as Lieberman and Sales (2007) determined. The attitudes of the community towards the crime or action was taken in a civil suit also play a significant role.

The scientific jury selection process is different from the depiction in television and movies where the expert reads the individuals serving (Lieberman & Sales, 2007). It involves questionnaires, theories, and surveys of others outside the courtroom, which is empirical science and provides a better understanding. For highly emotional trials where public opinion could sway the outcome of the trial, this practice reduces questionable jurists and verdicts.References Gruppie, G. R. & Perez, G. (2006). Ethical Issues in the Use of Trial Consultants.

Federation of Defense and Corporate Counsel, 56 (2): 1-10. Liberman, J. D. & Sales, B. D. (2007) Scientific Jury Selection. Arlington, VA: American Psychological Association. Seltzer, R. (2006). Scientific Jury Selection: Does It Work? Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36 (10): 2417–2435.