Online jury research is a powerful tool. The process of asking questions of jurors prior to them being selected is helpful. Any such questioning however tends to be somewhat shallow. In addition most judges in Virginia limit the amount of time allowed for this voir dire of jurors.
The actual limits of the questions that may be asked are governed by Virginia Code section 8.01-358. This Code section allows you to inquire as to whether or not any jurors are related to a party to the suit. You may ask whether or not they have any particular interest in the claim. In addition you may ask whether or not they have expressed or formed any opinion about the case. Finally you can inquire as to whether or not they have any bias or prejudice towards any party.
Jury Research through Voir Dire
Virginia Code § 8.01-353 now allows lawyers to obtain the list of potential jurors. This Code section says that the clerk shall make available a copy of the jury panel three (3) full business days before the trial. That list is to contain the name, age, address, occupation and employer of each person on the panel. Call or contact us for a free consult.
Jury Research Online
In order to obtain that list you need to write to the clerk’s office. Your letter should be sent approximately a week before the trial date. It should be followed up a day or two later to inquire as to the status of the list. Once you have that list you can do your own research about these potential jurors. That research may consist of the usual online-type of searches. If you have access to the databases of Lexis or Westlaw, that is an excellent starting point. If not then a Google search may turn up something. In doing a Google search it is probably a good idea to put the person’s name in quotes. This tends to capture more detail.
You should also check Google images. This may lead you to other websites relating to that person. You should also check Google news.
The usual sites for social media also are important. Pipl.com is a way to search a person’s social media presence. Your best source may be such services as Voltaireapp.com. Another service is Vijilent.com. With basic info about your jurors these services produce voter info, political info, lawsuits, real estate owned, links to social media and articles written by or about the person. If you have Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn accounts you can search other accounts from yours. With LinkedIn you need to make sure your search of the other account is anonymous. For info about personal injury see the other pages on this site.
