The Fair and Deliberative Jury Process is self-directed and self-paced, and it requires no participation from court staff. It’s simply a tool to guide jurors as they discuss their thoughts, observations and feelings. It’s an alternative to wandering blindly through deliberation.
The steps of the Fair and Deliberative Jury Process
First, the jurors select a foreperson who’s responsible for keeping discussion on track based on a road map the group creates, deciding which issues will be discussed and in what order.
Second, jurors review the information they took in during the trial, deciding which evidence is actual fact, probable or possible. They identify strong points of fact emphasized by both the prosecution and the defense.
Then they evaluate weaknesses in testimony and evidence, and consider how those weaknesses compare with the points each attorney tried to make. Does some evidence point to conclusions that weren’t discussed during the trial?
Last, and perhaps most importantly, jurors have an opportunity to talk about their feelings and identify them as such. How are these feelings impacting them, and how do their feelings interact with the facts they have already identified?