Alvaro Mejer delivers his opening statement in the $4+ million trial for the deaths of 21 polo horses who died after injesting a supplement with toxic levels of Selenium. 

West Palm Beach, FL—Attorneys Tuesday sparred over responsibility for the deadly prescription supplement that killed 21 thoroughbred polo horses, as trial opened against the compounding lab and professionals involved with the supplement.  Quorum Management, et al. v. Franck’s Pharmacy, 2010-CA-009112.

William Geraghty delivers closing arguments on behalf of Philip Morris in Bernice McCall's suit against the company. Jurors awarded McCall $350,000 in compensatory damages and rejected her claim for punitives, after finding an addiction to cigarettes caused her husband's lung cancer but not his death. 

Fort Lauderdale—Jurors Wednesday awarded $350,000 to the widow of an alcohol abuse counselor who developed cancer after 40 years of smoking, but rejected the case's wrongful death claim and cleared cigarette maker Philip Morris  of the lion’s share of liability. McCall v. Philip Morris, 2007-CV-036888.

Lloyd Bell delivers closing arguments in trial of Shawn Evans' claim that ER staff failed to appropriately care for his wife Janice Evans, leading to strokes that left her permanently disabled. 

Update: 3/1/16 

Decatur, Ga—Jurors Monday awarded $1.2 million to a Georgia couple for the strokes that left a woman permanently disabled, but found the woman 49% responsible and cleared the doctor who treated her of liability. Evans v. Sutton, et al, 13A48465-4.

St. Petersburg, FL— Sweeping privacy rights questions take the forefront as CVN-webcast jury selection begins March 2 in Hulk Hogan’s $100 million suit against Gawker Media for its publication of a sex video featuring the pro wrestler. Terry Bollea v. Gawker Media LLC, 12-012447-CI.

Jury consultants have been a staple of litigation prep and courtrooms for decades. Regardless of your case or jurisdiction, you can now select from scores of specialists in every shade of psychology and the law who promise to help you choose the best possible jury for your trial. You can study articles on topics as narrow as how to flush out the juror who won’t stay off the Internet at trial or how jurors react to different camera angles at deposition.

With all this advice and expertise on juror selection and behavior, there has, historically, been scant intelligence on the one person with the single greatest impact on a trial:

The judge.