Legal Research

"Better Find Something besides DNA & Hard Science to Persuade the Jury!"

This post was written by Rita Handrich: "For some time now, there have been concerns about the CSI Effect on our juries. In short, this is a belief/fear that potential jurors who watch television shows such as the CSI franchise will presume real labs can produce the same sort of evidence--and anything that falls short of that causes reasonable doubt. Litigators have lived in fear of the CSI Effect despite rising evidence it may actually be an urban (and rural!) litigation myth.

In fact, a recent study shows us that there may well be decreasing trust in the institution of science in this country. Miller-McCune is a terrific publication. Recently, they describe an ESP study with findings that may surprise you.

"Newly published research on belief in ESP suggests a public disregard for -- and perhaps even hostility toward -- the scientific consensus."

Continue reading this interesting post and reach the active links by clicking on the author's name.

Source: The Jury Room, 11 June 2010. Reproduced with permission of Douglas Keene.

Full post as published by Stark County Law Library Blawg on June 17, 2010 (boomark / email).