Rigging the verdict: An intelligent consultant for jury selection in a courtroom

Jury selection, a process that has significant impact on the outcome of a trial, involves decision making in a dynamic courtroom environment. Scientific jury selection techniques have gained popularity in recent years. A widely accepted approach involves rating prospective jurors on demographic and other predictive factors determined from a random survey of the population and applying multivariate analysis to categorize the candidate pool. We develop a process model of scientific jury selection and propose the use of linguistic variables and fuzzy sets to represent juror profiles in a fuzzy rule-based system that aids the attorney during a trial. An intelligent Jury Consultant assists the attorney in voir dire, to frame appropriate questions based on juror profiles and to challenge prospective jurors on both causal and peremptory grounds.