Enhancing Conviction Integrity through Forensics
Resource:
Seeking a Fair and Just Verdict: Guiding the Jury's Response to the Evidence
By guiding jurors throughout trial, prosecutors can bring clarity to the evidence and remove obstacles that might otherwise block the path to offender accountability. This presentation will suggest strategies to center the victim’s experience of the crime at all stages of a trial—beginning with jury selection and continuing through opening statement, presentation of evidence, and summation. Presenters will emphasize strategies to promote fairness during jury selection in the context of Batson and its application to peremptory challenges or challenges for cause. By focusing the jury’s attention on the victim’s experience of the crime committed against them, prosecutors can assist jurors in rendering a fair and just verdict.