Juries

Indy Judges Crack Down on Jury Scofflaws

After judges in Indiana threatened tougher actions against perspective jurors who try to dodge jury duty, the Indianapolis area saw a surge in juror participation. Facing possible contempt of court—and possible jail time—more jurors showed up when called this week, according to the Indianapolis Star. After news reports about the…

Oct 24, 2007 8:20 PM CDT

Tort Reform Red Flag Raised in Alabama?

A recent $50 million jury verdict in the case of a man burned to death when his water heater exploded will only fuel tort-reform efforts in Alabama, according to an editorial. The Alabama Press-Register opinion piece acknowledges that jurors must have felt sympathy for the family of Richard Krantz. But,…

Oct 24, 2007 4:28 PM CDT

Exonerated But Still Struggling

Twenty years after he was convicted of rape based on an inaccurate witness identification, Marcus Lyons has finally been cleared by DNA evidence. His conviction has been dismissed by the DuPage County state’s attorney, and his name will soon be expunged from a database of convicted sex offenders, reports the…

Oct 22, 2007 3:52 PM CDT

Media Execs Arrested for Revealing Grand Jury Subpoenas

Updated: Two executives who founded an alternative weekly newspaper were arrested last night for publishing a story in The Phoenix New Times that revealed grand jury secrets. They were released by 4 a.m. this morning, according to the Phoenix New Times blog, which continues to post updates. A lawyer for…

Oct 19, 2007 1:56 PM CDT

Reluctant Juror Jailed for Message to Court Officials

A reluctant juror in Michigan has been jailed after he sent court officials a note telling them what he thought of their third jury summons. “I didn’t sign up for this bullshit,” Michael Starrett wrote, according to an article in the Detroit News. “I suggest you find somebody who gives…

Oct 19, 2007 10:39 AM CDT

Jury Rights Wrong Wyeth Verdict

A Nevada jury that withdrew nearly $100 million in a compensatory verdict for plaintiffs who took Prempro and Premarin has now awarded about that much in punitive damages. Jurors yesterday agreed to award $99 million in punitive damages to three plaintiffs who claimed the drugs they took for menopause symptoms…

Oct 16, 2007 11:03 AM CDT

GA Jury Finds Hold-Up Note, Convicts

A Georgia jury convicted an attempted bank robbery suspect, after discovering in evidence the impression of a hold-up note that the prosecution missed. Both a blank notebook, which contained the impression, and two incomplete handwritten notes that police found in a car with two men who allegedly attempted to rob…

Oct 15, 2007 7:19 PM CDT

Oops! Jurors Revise $100M Wyeth Award

Nevada jurors confessed they made a mistake in setting compensatory damages against the maker of Premarin and Prempro, hormone replacement drugs alleged to have caused breast cancer in three women. Jurors originally awarded $134.5 million in what was supposed to have been compensatory damages against the drugmaker, Wyeth. Jurors later…

Oct 15, 2007 1:14 PM CDT

Man Accused of Shooting Divorce Judge Gets New Venue

After three days of unsuccessful jury selection, a judge in Nevada has ordered a venue change in the case of a man accused of killing his estranged wife and shooting the judge handling their divorce. Judge Douglas Herndon cited a list of special factors that led to the decision to…

Oct 5, 2007 10:27 AM CDT

Stubborn Juror Won’t Vote

“What do we do when a juror refuses to vote?” That was the handwritten note submitted yesterday to the federal judge overseeing the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case, the Dallas Morning News reports. U.S. District Judge A. Joe Fish of Dallas sent the jurors back for more deliberations with…

Oct 4, 2007 2:22 PM CDT

Small Firm, Big Litigation

In more than 30 years of mass torts practice, Mark Robinson has helped his small Calfornia law firm make a big mark. Founded in 1978 after Robinson won a $128 verdict for a 13-year-old plaintiff with burn injuries in a Ford Pinto gas-tank case, Robinson, Calcagnie & Robinson had evolved…

Sep 27, 2007 7:48 PM CDT

Mistrial as Phil Spector Jury Deadlocks

Updated: A mistrial has been declared in the second-degree murder trial of Phil Spector, after the judge polled the jury, who all agreed they were deadlocked. The foreman said the panel was split 10-2, in a live broadcast of the trial. But, at the judge’s request, he did not say…

Sep 26, 2007 8:46 PM CDT

Phil Spector Jury Still Deliberating

The jury in the Phil Spector case is still deliberating, more than two weeks after it began considering a second-degree murder charge against the famed music producer. The nine-man, three-woman panel asked for a VCR yesterday, but it isn’t clear why, reports the Associated Press. In an unusual move after…

Sep 25, 2007 6:51 PM CDT

Dress for Jury Success: Less is More

Red suits for women and pink shirts for men may make powerful fashion statements. But when lawyers are appearing before juries, they’re fashion statements that should be avoided, along with provocative—and noisy—clothing, a consultant advises. “Less is more,” says consultant Andrea Ward, who recently discussed appropriate attire for jury trials…

Sep 24, 2007 10:29 PM CDT

Spector Judge Does About-Face

The judge in the murder trial of music producer Phil Spector has agreed to revoke a jury instruction requiring prosecutors to prove the record producer held the gun that fired while in actress Lana Clarkson’s mouth. Deadlocked jurors had told Judge Larry Paul Fidler that they found the instruction confusing,…

Sep 20, 2007 2:34 PM CDT