There are many theories designed to explain how jurors understand and analyze trial-related information in order to reach a verdict. The most widely adopted approach to juror decision making is the story model (Devine, Clayton, Dunford, Seying & Pryce, 2000). The story model of juror decisions making explains that jurors reach a verdict by assembling “the evidence into a coherent whole that is ...
If you make an argument, you’re implicitly asking the jury to evaluate your argument – to judge it, debate it, criticize it and then argue back. But when you tell a story, you are inviting the jury to accompany on a trip that ends with your desired outcome.
The power of ...
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How do you gain and hold a juror’s attention? Use unexpectedness – but be sure that you use the right kind of unexpectedness.
You can use surprise to gain the attention of the juror. You can use mystery to hold the attention of the juror. Surprise is a brief emotional state and it only holds ...
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Imagine the day is nearing when you will be presenting the complexities of your case to a mediator, judge or jury. How many boxes of evidence do you have? Did you just take your tenth, fifteenth or even twenty-fifth deposition in this case? Do you have all the important details of the case committed to memory? Or ...
