With 17 chapters on specific forensic disciplines, the LAWYER’S GUIDE has substantial value in its description of the analytical steps taken in each. But the book suffers from ‘true believer’ syndrome, i.e. the belief that the discipline can make findings with exactitude and uniqueness, particularly when assessing subjective comparison fields such as bitemark, toolmark [firearms]
This article explores a common phenomenon in criminal cases: jury evaluation of law enforcement. It describes the processes by which litigants seek and offer, and juries assess, evidence pertinent to evaluating law enforcement; assesses the historical development of the phenomenon; and argues that courts (and the justice system more broadly) should accept and accommodate this
A remarkably insightful text from a jury consultant with a Ph.D. in Psychology, JURY TRIALS OUTSIDE IN is an easy read. From an understanding of memory to the role of emotion in jury decision-making, author Melissa Gomez guides lawyers on how to “leverag[e] psychology from discovery to decision.”
A succinct rumination on story-telling with some sage advice, illustrative of which is the following. “ Your story is not just what you say it is. It’s more about what your jury says it is. A good storyteller invites the jury to join in the narrative conversation and add to it (or subtract from the
Anyone concerned with litigation must understand memory – its strength and its limitations. Winter approaches the topic through an historian’s lens, documenting the evolution of our understanding of memory from the belief in its indelible nature to the recognition of memory as fragmented, malleable and impermanent.
An exceptional book applying cognitive psychology to the realms of criminal investigations and trials, showing the weak spots and proposing meaningful fixes.
A comprehensive evaluation of the Federal Rules of Evidence through the prism of psychological research, assessing whether the Rules actually serve their intended purposes.
A history – from the vantage of both the laboratory and the courtroom – of the development of the forensic use of genetic [DNA] testing, written by one of the true scholars of science and law
The reissue of the classic essays by Hugo Munsterberg, who pioneered the application of psychology to the courtroom and in particular to questions of witness memory.
An essential guide to the preparation and presentation of, and challenge to, expert witness testimony.