If a juror answers yes to these questions, then the prosecutor will ask follow-up questions to find out if the juror can still be fair given his or her experience.

Judges usually tell jurors that they are not required to talk to anyone about their experiences, but that they have a right to speak.

Moreover, juries often sided with defendants, even when the patients were severely injured, indicating that the jurors were not swayed by sympathy in making their decisions.

Participating in the study were more than 300 university undergraduates takingan introductory psychology course who played mock jurors.

Former jurors have agreed to speak to lawyers who are taking an academic course I teach on the American jury.