Introduction: Juror Number?

Every effort was made to protect the identities of the 12 people who spent six weeks listening to the $10 million libel suit brought by a group of cattlemen against Oprah Winfrey. With juror numbers used to identify them, they sat intently as prosecution and defense lawyers argued the case.

Partly anonymous until that cold day in February 1998, when they began deliberations of the media-high, complex case involving a superstar, a local cattle baron, free speech and the economics of beef, they asked U. S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson to let them watch for a second time, a tape of the Oprah episode that sparked all the trouble back in April 1996.

Foreman, Christy Sams, a state employee, delivered the jury’s verdict: "Winfrey was not liable for any damages to the Texas cattle industry." A third-grade teacher, a retired farmwife, a mechanic; four males, eight females; reached a decision. Who were these people and by what means did they reach an agreement in spite of their immense diversity and varying individual value systems?

The 12 men and women who spent weeks listening to arguments about the guilt or innocence of Timothy McVeigh said it was harder to conclude that he blew up the Oklahoma City federal building than it was to condemn him to die. They heard McVeigh’s former friends talk about his anger toward the government. They listened with tears in their eyes as victims, survivors and family members recounted the horrors of that fateful day. And, they contemplated issues as defense lawyers presented witness after witness in an attempt to somehow explain McVeigh’s actions.

After reaching a verdict and remaining anonymous until the end of the trial, the Regional Transportation District landscaper and single father, The Denver-area learning-disabled teacher, the retired Sears employee from New Jersey, the Vietnam veteran, the computer technician, the registered nurse and the six other members of the McVeigh jury appeared together on NBC-TV’s Dateline. Asked what question they would most like to put to Timothy McVeigh, they said in unison: "Why?" This diverse group too, having never had the opportunity to ask one question, reached a verdict.

Faced with potential jurors who had been exposed to the O. J. Simpson case, Judge Lance Ito focused on a single theme during jury selection: Could they judge the case on evidence alone?

On the first day of the key phase of jury selection—oral questioning known as voir dire—Judge Ito told the first of 84 prospects: "I am not looking for hermits. . .we would be very suspicious of a Rip Van Winkle that awoke yesterday and just learned of this case."

No one claimed total ignorance, but most said in their 79-page questionnaires that they could be fair and would be willing to look at the evidence alone. The first day crawled by, with just four jurors questioned by Ito and lawyers. The long route to finding 12 impartial jurors and eight alternates was just beginning.

Although lawyers and the judge conduct the questioning of prospective jurors, prosecution consultants, handwriting analysts, body language specialists and defense advisors are the ones watching the jurors with an eagle eye. Exploring every emotion, evaluating facial expressions, observing nonverbal communication, analyzing all writings and scanning clothing and posture, the jury consultant is there to WEED out the worst for their team.

Lawyers spend a good part of their lives being trained how to communicate technical issues, yet research proves that when jurors listen to evidence, they focus on nonverbal communication for over 90% of the message. Studies have proven that people retain only 10% of verbal communication. Nonverbal experts help lawyers capitalize on exploring emotion from the jury pool by selecting jury members capable of emitting shared feelings. The way to win an audience over is to RELATE to them in any way possible. Pure and simple, enabling a jury member to declare, "That’s just the way I feel," or "That’s just like what happened to my friend," will more eagerly place him on one particular side as he feels and expresses empathy for the cause.

The time spent in voir dire during a courtroom trial is the basis for the success of the case. The best trial lawyers in America till tell you that, "any case is 85 percent won or lost after the jury selection is completed." Why is it always over at this juncture?

How are the voting outcomes of jurors predetermined? They’re accomplished by carefully studying and analyzing juror characteristics, statistics and verdicts (Chapter 2), their handwriting (Chapters 3 and 4), their drawings (Chapters 5 and 6), their facial features (Chapter 7), their body language (Chapters 8 and 9), their personality and birth order (Chapter 10), and their general intelligence (Chapter 11); in fact, every detail that makes each of them unique.

A thorough comprehension of an individual can give valuable information on:

Carefully prepared and creatively conducted jury screening can lead to successful results in every court case.

However, just as the information container herein can help in the courtroom, knowledge of these facts are just a helpful in our personal lives. Every time we talk with people we are trying to influence their behavior, and they are trying to influence ours. The words we use, the way we dress and move, are all ways we seek to control one another.

Though we may make these attempts unknowingly, they leave us open to dangerous manipulation. Judging The Jury: Experience The Power Of Reading People will teach you how to listen and what to look for in yourself and those around you, so you can identify underlying motives, expectations and fears. By reading these hidden messages, you can avoid their damaging effects.

Learn to listen with a different ear—the one that hears what isn’t being said. Learn to see with a different eye—the one that watches what’s not being spoken. This book will start you thinking, seeing, listening and feeling about your life and your relationships in a different view and may give you the perspective you need to change them.

Learn how to "read" people, predict their behavior and understand how they’re "reading" you. The clues, that reveal the truth about those around you, could help you to make better and more intelligent life choices.