A recently-released book by Stulberg and Magness entitled Peak Performance has very interesting information about the science of thinking, performing tasks, burnout, and rest which I think is applicable to jury management. It has made me think about the significant downside to having jurors sit in a courtroom for several days, if not weeks, then only to spend hours in deliberations, cooped up in a windowless room, away from family and work, with no exercise and crummy meals, and expecting them to make rational decisions. The book is worthy of a look for trial judges.
A blog about the very small percentage of jurors who fail to follow the judge's instructions, including doing independent Internet research, using social media (such as Facebook) to contact parties and lawyers, and blogging about the trial. Juror misconduct frequently results in mistrials and a waste of resources. Links will be provided to sample jury summonses, jury instructions, and other resources to improve juror education and minimize juror misconduct, thereby promoting fairness of trials.