The right to a jury trial is a pillar of America’s justice system, enshrined in the Constitution from a tradition dating back more than 1,000 years. But trial testimony, he says, can be “deadly boring.”Jury consultants say the ennui is exacerbated by shrinking attention spans of the smartphone era. During jury selection, the judge and lawyers interview prospective jurors to find biases, including questions about hobbies, news sources and other topics. Photo: Ronald Grant Archive/Mary Evans/Lawyers say they watch for prospects already napping during jury selection. In one current trial, Manhattan federal prosecutors are seeking to convince a jury that a Turkish banker is guilty of helping Iran evade U.S. sanctions.

Source: Wall Street Journal December 08, 2017 16:30 UTC