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No Love for Jurors

Feb 22, 2023
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, Publications
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Over 25 years of studying juries, I’ve noticed many people don’t think too highly of serving as a juror. They believe jury duty is a waste of time, something to be dodged by skipping outright or showing up and saying something outrageous to get booted. And many people would probably say jury decisions are influenced … more »

Science on Trial: Nationwide Views on Science and Scientific Evidence in 2022

Oct 29, 2022
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, Publications, ThemeVision Focus
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Attitudes about science have become part of a national conversation. We are regularly barraged with all sorts of “scientific” findings that have implications for our physical and mental well-being as well as our behavior as consumers. And nearly every U.S. adult has had to make a decision about getting vaccinated for COVID. The flurry of health and safety-related recommendations flowing from scientific research has triggered a loud and at times rancorous public dialog about the value of science. This raises an overarching question: Do people trust science?

Moneyball for Attorneys 

Apr 27, 2022
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, Publications
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Spring is here. For many sports fans, that means one thing in particular: Play ball! The other day I watched a good “spring” movie—Moneyball. If you’re a fan of Brad Pitt or Jonah Hill, you would like it. If you follow baseball at all, you should see it. And if you’re a fan of winning … more »

When Does Mock Juror Research Help Win Cases?

Feb 9, 2022
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, Publications
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All mock juror research involves asking a sample of people to think like real jurors and share their beliefs and opinions about a case. This research takes many forms – surveys, focus groups, mock trials, and targeted studies on opening statements, closing arguments, or witness perception – to name a few. But the underlying goal … more »

Case Decision Making, Part II: What’s in Your Model?

Apr 9, 2021
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, Jury Consultant, ThemeVision Focus
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If the case is about money, it’s helpful to know what the case is worth to those who will eventually decide the issue at trial. Most attorneys probably use reasoned logic in conjunction with the facts of the case to decide this question. Maybe the result is tempered by personal history for those with trial experience. But relying on these things is risky.  

The COVID Effect Part 2: Measuring the Impact on Juror Perspectives

Mar 19, 2021
David C. Bartholomew
Dr. Dennis Devine, Dr. Dennis P. Stolle, Hillary Abraham, Trisha Volpe
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By Dennis Devine, Dennis Stolle, Trisha Volpe, & Hillary Abraham Jury trials are starting up again—but the world has changed. ThemeVision recently conducted a national survey of 532 U.S. adults to assess the impact of COVID and other 2020 events on civil juries. We previously reported that about half the people we surveyed said they … more »

About Half: New Data on COVID and Jury Pools

Feb 10, 2021
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, Hillary Abraham, Publications
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ThemeVision’s Nationwide SurveyThemeVision is a litigation consulting firm that counsels clients on jury decision making and conducts jury research in cases around the country. We obtained a diverse, national sample of responses from 532 U.S. adults (locations shown above). Our questions fell into several buckets: Demographics, Health-related behaviors and contracting COVID, Willingness to serve as … more »

Case Decision Making: What’s in Your Model?

Nov 24, 2020
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, Jury Consultant
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Every legal case comes with a host of decisions. Some are big and bright; many are small and subtle. Some are not even perceived as decisions due to the chilling effect of convention, personal habit, or law-firm policy. But there are always many questions—and where there are questions, there are decisions. Consider several that arise … more »

Who is Keyser Soze (in Your Jury)?

Jun 10, 2020
Dennis J. Devine, PhD, MJ
Dr. Dennis Devine, ThemeVision Focus
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By Dennis Devine In the classic 1995 film, The Usual Suspects, Keyser Soze (pronounced Kaiser So-zay) is a shadowy, larger-than-life character. His unseen, ubiquitous presence directs and controls the actions of an assembled group like some nefarious puppet-master. The central question of the film is: Who is Keyser Soze? Let’s consider how this mystical character … more »