Sunday, July 30, 2017

Daniel Gigiano Reviews Ohio Jury Selection

Ohio Jury Selection by Attorney Daniel Gigiano


Wadsworth Municipal Court
Wadsworth Municipal Court
Ohio jury selection is part psychology, part hunch.  In a few minutes, attorneys must decide if a person could be fair in a particular case.  That person could be a very fair person, but may not be able to decide a particular case fairly.  On the other hand, another person may usually side with a particular side, but just may do so in a particular situation. 


Stereotypes Do Not Work In Ohio Jury Selection


The first rule in jury selection is not to rely on stereotypes.  While stereotypes can provide a good
Medina County Courthouse
Medina County Courthouse
starting point, the potential juror needs to be questioned as to his or her particular beliefs and biases.  For example, I am Italian and I love Italian food.  While I know it may be hard to believe, there might be some Italian person out there that does not like Italian food.  Another possibility is that the person has an Italian last name but does not identify as Italian.  Perhaps, the Italian culture in that person’s family is long gone and replaced by other cultures, or simply the American culture.  This also holds true for professions.  While many social workers and teachers may tend to be sympathetic to people’s feelings and pain, there may be some who are more skeptical.  The point is before a lawyer starts assuming he or she has a juror who can explain some Italian cultural or cuisine item to the rest of the jury, make sure the potential juror fits the bill.

Select Ohio Jurors Based On Their Experiences And Beliefs



Wayne County Municipal Court
The second rule is to get right at what drives that person.  Get right at
Akron Municipal Court
the person’s experiences and beliefs.  Most of the time, an attorney only gets a few questions per juror to determine this.  I devote some technical questions to determine someone’s intellectual beliefs.  Then, I ask some questions about how they feel about certain topics to determine their emotional beliefs.  If there is going to be a unique approach to the trial, I may ask the jurors if they have any issues with that approach.  For example, I tried a case where we slowed down the security video footage to get a better look at what happened.  I simply asked the jury how they felt about instant replay.  The jurors who liked it would likely appreciate the value in slowing down the video to examine the events.  The jurors who did not like instant replay would likely tune out all the hard work we put into slowing down the video for their benefit. 

Select Ohio Jurors With Values Favorable To The Facts Of Your Case


Medina Municipal Court
The third rule is ask jury questions that hit on values related to the case, without describing the case they will be hearing.  The judge may not allow me to ask questions that get too close to the facts of the case, so I usually have to be careful.  The judge limits questions like that because he or she does not want me to gather a straw poll on the potential verdict.  Would I like to do that?  Of course I would.  On the other hand, I would not put too much stock in that process anyway, as a simplified version of the facts may not match that juror’s view of the facts after hearing the evidence.  Different jurors focus on different things.  Sometimes, they ask themselves if the Defendant is acting the way he or she should be acting in such a situation.  This can be a brutal analysis, as one charged with a crime may be extremely nervous and struggle to get his or her words out, making it look like they are not acting right.  Sometimes, this intuitive approach is telling; other times, it is misleading.  Yet, jurors bring in their lifetime of experiences and techniques in analyzing people.

Attorney Daniel Gigiano.  Experienced.  Aggressive.  Dedicated.


Attorney Daniel Gigiano was admitted to the practice of law in Illinois in 1993.  He immediately
Attorney Daniel Gigiano
began practicing as an assistant prosecutor working in a courtroom that focused on major traffic cases, such as DUI and driving under suspension, spending over one year focusing on the many issues in these cases.  Attorney Daniel Gigiano then spent the next five years of his government practice working on misdemeanors, felonies, grand jury and preliminary hearings, juvenile delinquency cases, and abuse and neglect cases.  In 1999, he was admitted to practice in Ohio.  In 2000, he took his experience to a private practice in Wadsworth, Medina County, Ohio.  Attorney Gigiano has maintained a practice in Wadsworth since that time.  During his private practice, he has tried numerous criminal and civil jury trials to verdicts.  Call now at 330-336-3330 if you need the services of an experienced Medina County trial attorney in Wadsworth.