ABA Journal

Juries

970 ABA Journal Juries articles.

Lawyer for Black man on trial for murder referenced ‘justifiable lynching’ in trial note, petition says

Updated: Racism pervaded the Texas murder trial of a Black man to such an extent that one of his lawyers appeared to suggest that he deserved to be lynched, according to a Jan. 30 habeas petition.

Confederate symbols should be removed from courthouses, ABA House says

Confederate memorabilia “and other symbols of racial and ethnic bias” should be removed from facilities where court proceedings are held, according to a resolution passed Monday by the ABA House of Delegates.

Lessons for lawyers on jury selection from the courtroom and classroom

Common sense dictates that lawyers fare better with jurors who have formed a favorable impression of counsel. Favorable and unfavorable impressions begin with voir dire. The ingredients necessary to build rapport with members of the venire are no secret.

Potential juror for Young Thug trial ordered to write 30-page essay after skipping return to court

A juror who skipped a return court appearance to be considered as a juror in the trial of rapper Young Thug has been ordered to write a 30-page essay focusing on the history of jury service in Georgia.

Unanimous jury requirement applies to older criminal cases, top state court rules

The Oregon Supreme Court recently ruled that the constitutional requirement for unanimous juries in serious criminal cases applies to older verdicts challenged in state post-conviction proceedings.

Public defender is plaintiff in suit alleging exclusion of felons from Manhattan juries is unconstitutional

A public defender who can’t serve on a New York jury because of a 2009 felony drug conviction is a plaintiff in a lawsuit challenging the state’s ban on jurors with felony convictions as applied in Manhattan, New York City.

Weekly Briefs: 2 suits against Trump are tossed; lawyers jump to BigLaw from virtual firm

Trump wins dismissal of suits by niece, former lawyer

Former President Donald Trump won dismissals Monday of lawsuits filed against him by his niece Mary Trump and his

Weekly Briefs: Biden can’t grant student-debt relief, judge says; $32.3M malpractice award left in place

Judge strikes down student-debt relief

U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman of Fort Worth, Texas, ruled Thursday that the Biden administration’s plan to forgive some federal student-loan debt was an unconstitutional…

12-person juries are constitutionally required in serious criminal cases, Gorsuch argues

U.S. Supreme Court Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh dissented Monday, when the Supreme Court turned down an appeal that challenges the use of eight-person juries in serious criminal cases.

How do you calculate damages in injury trials? Longtime expert witness reveals methodology

Estimating what the future would have looked like if an accident had never occurred can seem more like a thought experiment than a scientific process. But there’s a science behind it, says Michael Shahnasarian.

Ban on nonunanimous juries is not retroactive in Louisiana, top state court says

The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Friday that inmates convicted by nonunanimous juries can’t challenge their convictions if they were final before the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Sixth Amendment required jury unanimity to convict in serious cases—in federal and state courts.

Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before Georgia grand jury, with some exceptions, 11th Circuit rules

Republican U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina must testify about efforts to “cajole” or “exhort” Georgia election officials in connection with the 2020 election, a federal appeals court has ruled.

Ex-lawyer who argued football head injuries made him unable to form fraud intent loses in 6th Circuit

A federal appeals court has affirmed the conviction of a disbarred lawyer who argued that football head injuries made him unable to form an intent to defraud his bank.

Top Texas court questions subpoena efforts by Georgia grand jury probing efforts to overturn 2020 election

Texas “is proving to be an outlier” in its courts’ response to subpoenas issued by a Georgia special purpose grand jury investigating efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election, according to a story by the New York Times.

How social media hijacked the Depp v. Heard defamation trial

Law firms are wondering what steps they can take to prevent bias like this going forward. And if they can’t prevent it, how can they use social media apps like TikTok in their favor?

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