As many trial attorneys will tell you, the most crucial phase in many trials is jury selection. While its significance is known, attorneys are often left with minimal information gathered through juror questionnaires or voir dire from which they are forced to analyze cause challenges and make strike decisions. However, the growth of social media over the past decade has enabled lawyers to gather additional information about the interests, activities and proclivities of veniremen that allows counsel to make more informed decisions during the jury selection process.
According to Pew Research Center, 74% of online adults use social media sites. The numbers are consistent across gender, education and income levels. A trial attorney, therefore, has the ability to discover information about three out of every four prospective jurors on the Internet.Continue Reading Social Media and Jury Selection