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- Court of Public Opinion will not sell or otherwise intentionally disclose any juror’s "Private Information" (name, contact information (residential address (excluding city), telephone number, or e-mail address), bank account information, date of birth, and/or social security number) unless such disclosure is required by law, court order, or is made pursuant to your express written instruction.
- Other than your Private Information, all demographic information supplied by you may be shared with those affiliated with the cases you seek to join as a juror. You are not required to provide general demographic information in order to register with Court of Public Opinion, or to serve on one of its juries. but litigants may take into consideration the general demographic information you provide, or the fact that you have not provided such information, when determining whether to exercise a challenge to your involvement as a juror in their matter. For purposes of jury selection and demographic analyses of verdict responses, jurors who voluntarily provide general demographic information shall be deemed to consent to its use by CoPO, the litigants involved in the matters which they seek to join as a juror, and/or their affiliates.
- In the event that you consent to the use of any or all information provided in the juror registration process to confirm the veracity and accuracy of that information.
- Until a Verdict has been reached, you are prohibited from communicating with the litigants, witnesses, attorneys or anyone affiliated with a case upon which you may serve/are serving as a juror. This prohibition does not include communications made through CoPO, including in voir dire or the submission of a question to the court.
- Until the time for deliberations, jurors and potential jurors may not communicate with other any other juror about the subject matter of a case pending before them.
- Other than in deliberations with other jurors, no juror/potential juror shall disclose duplicate, copy, print, share, disseminate, distribute, communicate, are use in any manner any private, confidential, sensitive or proprietary information they may learn as a result of serving as a juror/prospective juror in any CoPO proceeding.
- CoPO jurors may not disclose or share the questions asked of them in any Post-Verdict Questionnaire, or their responses thereto. Inappropriate questions posed in any Post-Verdict Questionnaire, including any which seek the provision of your Private Information or what was asked in any other Post-Verdict Questionnaire, must be not be answered but instead flagged by the juror.
- Jurors who violate, or who become aware of another’s violation or attempted violation of, this Privacy, Communication & Disclosure Policy must immediately notify CoPO Juror Services.
Any juror who violates any provision of this Privacy, Communication & Disclosure Policy may subject that juror to civil/criminal penalties, forfeiture of any fees paid/to be paid in association with their service, and/or their permanent removal from CoPO’s juror registry.
Today, fewer than 5% of all civil actions ever make their way to a jury. As a result, communities have lost their voices in the outcomes of local, legal disputes, and fewer matters are being resolved on their individual merits than are being compromised by concerns about time, money, and the results which have been obtained in superficially similar cases.
By increasing access to, and the utility of, juries, Court of Public Opinion has committed itself to counteracting the negative consequences which have resulted from the routine forfeiture of the Constitutional right to a trial by jury. By combining technology and a modified jury system, CoPO’s online juries are capable of doing what no traditional jury can.
They are not just for trials anymore ...
Not only can CoPO’s Online Juries issue a verdict at the conclusion of an online trial, but they are available for mediations and arbitrations, to resolve issues of fact which otherwise prevent the granting of summary judgment, and for our most popular offering, FOCUS GROUPS!
Numbers matter.
The size of a CoPO Online Jury isn’t limited to a standard twelve, plus two alternates. Instead, litigants are encouraged to select as many or as few jurors as they feel is appropriate for their case.
No Jury Summons
At CoPO, we don’t need to command jurors to appear on an appointed date. All CoPO registered jurors who reside in the communities specified by the parties, and who are available when specified, are electronically invited to fill one of the positions in the jury pool. The parties engage in jury selection from there, but they won’t need to excuse a juror because they are unavailable or unable to serve.
Pre-empted Peremptories
When parties supply a Witness List and Statement of the Case, CoPO’s Jurors are required to examine these before accepting an invitation to join the jury pool. Additionally, parties have the opportunity to conduct online voir dire and to select their jurors from the jury pool before excused jurors are owed a jury fee.
Simplified Preparations
With CoPO’s Jury Instruction and Verdict preparation wizards, the online preparation of trial documents is a breeze.
More Effective Presentations
Say goodbye to awkward foam boards, bulky binders and blow-ups jurors can’t quite see from their seats. In CoPO proceedings, video, exhibits and instructions are uploaded and electronically displayed and available during jury deliberations.
E-Deliberations
CoPO has created a dedicated, password protected forum for its jurors to engage in e-deliberations which the parties can monitor.
Beyond the Verdict
No more chasing jurors down a hallway to find out what led to their verdict. Parties interested in obtaining more feedback from their Jurors can confidentially submit Post-Verdict Questionnaires, and their Jurors will respond because they are compensated for doing so from the convenience and privacy of their homes.
Need more information than a Post-Verdict Questionnaire can reveal? Parties have the option of obtaining Demographic Breakdowns which identify how their Jurors voted on each Verdict question, viewed through the lens of demographic characteristics such as age, gender, race, income and educational levels.
Need more still? CoPO’s exclusive Relevancy Meters measure the amount of time that each Juror spent reviewing specific testimony, evidence and jury instructions, and Case Ratings allow parties to get Juror impressions on a scale of 0-10.
COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. AN ALTERNATE DISPUTE EVALUATION AND RESOLUTION SERVICE FOR A MODERN AGE.
Juror FAQs
How do I join the jury pool?
All you need to do is register.
Any U.S. citizen who is at least 18 years old, who can understand and read English, and who has not been convicted of a felony is eligible to register.
When I register with CoPO, do I have to provide ALL of the information requested?
No. Certain information is needed, such as your name and address, but you may "Decline to Answer" any question where that is offered as an option. If you do "Decline to Answer" any question, before Requesting to Serve on a case, you may wish to reconsider changing that response since attorneys may consider the responses you provide, or decline to provide, in the jury selection process.
How is the information I provide in my Jury Registration used?
Court of Public Opinion uses the information you provide regarding your residence, availability, and preferred method of jury service to identify the group of persons who are Qualified to serve as a Juror on upcoming hearings. As hearings are scheduled with CoPO, those Jurors will simultaneously be sent an e-mail and/or a text invitation to "Request to Serve" as a Juror on those hearings.
With the exception of your Private Information, attorneys may also use the information you provide, alone or combined with written/oral questions, to perform "jury selection" — a process where the "pool" of Jurors is whittled down the "panel" who will ultimately hear and decide the case.
Additionally, without identifying your Private Information, the demographic information you provide in the registration process may be used by the attorneys to look for patterns in how their Jury panel responded to their verdict.
See CoPO's Privacy Policy for further details.
What happens after I register as a CoPO Juror?
You will instantly have exclusive access to the Jury Assembly Room at CourtofPublicOpinion.com. From there, you will be able to manage your Juror profile, identify and Request to Serve on upcoming Juror panels, and perform all acts necessary to your jury service.
How do I get on a Jury pool?
If you are Qualified (available and live in a specified locale) and want to serve as a Juror on a particular case, and you do not have any issues which might prevent you from deciding the case fairly, you should submit an online "Request to Serve". Positions in the pool are limited, and are filled in the order that Requests to Serve are received. However, you should not submit a Request to Serve casually, as there can be negative consequences for you if you fail to serve as you originally requested.
How do I get out of the pool and onto a Jury panel?
Once the pool is filled, and no later than 7 days prior to the hearing, you need to submit an online "Confirmation of Attendance". Your failure to timely confirm your service will cause you to be removed from that matter's Jury pool, and may cause other negative consequences.
Submission of a Confirmation of Attendance guarantees that you will be paid for at least 1/2 day's service, unless the hearing is timely cancelled or continued, or the Juror is timely excused by the attorney(s) on that case. See Terms of Jury Service for further details.
Can I be excused from a Jury pool?
Yes. Hearings presented live to a Jury may be preceded by a jury selection process similar to that which would take place before the commencement of a courtroom jury trial, with the first Jurors to submit a Request to Serve being the first to be considered for inclusion on the Jury panel. However, because the parties will have advance access to the information you provide in your Juror profile, your responses to any written questions the parties may submit, and knowledge regarding the number of Jurors the parties need (including alternates), the parties can engage in a virtual jury selection process, and excuse jurors, prior to the commencement of a hearing to be presented live or online.
Excused Jurors will be compensated as provided for in CoPO’s Terms of Jury Service.
Will I receive any reminders?
Jurors are solely responsible for timely submitting their Confirmations of Attendance, and for providing their service when, where and how indicated. CoPO will attempt to assist you in this by sending e-mail and text reminders in advance of each important event, but you are responsible for verifying your current Jury status, as well as the status of any hearings in which you may be involved, at www.CourtofPublicOpinion.com.
What if I am unable to serve, or fail to complete my service, after I have already submitted a Request to Serve and/or a Confirmation of Attendance?
You are requested to immediately notify Court of Public Opinion if you find that you are unable to start or complete your Jury service. Absent extraordinary circumstances, such as the verifiable hospitalization or death of the Juror or a member of their household, your cancellation of your Jury service may cause negative consequences for you and your ability to be a Juror in the future.
What do I need to serve?
For live service, you do not need to bring anything special other than a print-out of your e-mailed Juror badge and an official photo ID. You should also wear clothing appropriate to a courtroom. (No shorts, tank tops, flip flops, pajamas, etc.) Tablets upon which you may take notes during the hearing, view/review exhibits and jury instructions, and submit your Verdict will be supplied by CoPO for your use during the hearing and your deliberations.
You are permitted to bring your cell phone to a live hearing, but such your phone may not be used to conduct any case related research, and they must be turned off or placed in silent mode during the hearing.
For online service, you do not need anything special other than your own PC, notebook, laptop or tablet, loaded with Google Chrome, and a reliable internet connection.
Minimum requirements:
- Operating system: Windows XP, Mac OSX Snow Leopard and newer.
- Display Resolution: 1280 x 800 - Disable any pop-up blockers - Browser Javascript must not be disabled
- The use of a proxy server is not allowed
- Video and audio capable system
- Video and audio capable system
How does online service compare to service at a hearing presented to a jury live?
Jurors who serve online are not required to attend the hearing at a specific time and place, but are instead required to view recorded proceedings during a specified window of time, allowing for the Jurors to view and pause the proceedings when and as is more convenient to them. The online experience is otherwise designed to approximate that which Jurors at a live proceeding might have, including the ability to view uploads of text, photos and videos admitted as evidence, and to read any provided jury instructions.
Can’t I just cheat?
In order to serve in any matter, each CoPO Juror is required to make several declarations under penalty of perjury. This includes, but is not limited to: 1) representations made in your Juror Registration; 2) confirming that you can be impartial when serving as a juror in a matter involving the persons and events identified to you at the outset; 3) responses you provide to any questions asked by the attorneys; and 4) affirmations that your Verdict responses are yours. Any Juror found to violate their obligation to provide true and accurate information under penalty of perjury will be referred for civil and/or criminal prosecution.
All Jurors are required to view the same testimony and evidence at the same time or during the same time frame, in order to respond to Verdict questions, and hence fulfill the purpose of your service. Jurors attending live proceedings must be present when and where required, and any absence or lateness, even from a break, will prevent that Juror from further participating in that hearing, from being able to respond to Verdict questions, and hence from receiving any compensation in association with that matter. The same applies for Jurors who participate online, except that they must view the entire case by the time for the commencement of juror deliberations, in order to be able to respond to Verdict questions, and hence to receive compensation in association with that matter.
Finally, since we can’t put courtroom attendants in the living rooms of each Juror who serves online, we have protocols in place to help assure that you watch the entire presentation prior to the commencement of juror deliberations. Accordingly, the fast-forward and skip functions on your video player will be disabled for any segment of the hearing you have not completely viewed. Likewise, for those who might think to have someone else watch in your stead, or who might consider leaving the video playing while they go off and do something else, at semi-regular times during the video playback, a question will appear on their screen based upon the information that Juror provided in their Juror Registration. Any failure to correctly answer the question, within the limited number of seconds provided for that response, will result in the video's being automatically "re-wound" to the point on the video last timely and correctly answered a pop-up question.
How do Jurors deliberate?
Whether they serve online or at a live hearing, Jurors use electronic devices in deliberations to review uploaded pieces of evidence, recorded testimony, and jury instructions.
Jurors who serve online will, at a designated time, e-deliberate with their fellow Jurors through a hearing dedicated, online chat board. Jurors who serve at a live hearing may deliberate in a traditional fashion, or e-deliberate through the online chat board, depending upon the preference of the litigants.
How do Jurors arrive at a Verdict?
Jurors who serve online will individually answer each Verdict question online, and each issue presented in the Verdict will be decided by combining the Verdict responses of all of the Jurors. For example, in a civil court trial, a party which bears the burden of proof on an issue must get 9 of 12 jurors, or 75% of them, to agree that that party has established that issue by a preponderance of the evidence. "Did Debbie Defendant negligently cause injuries to Paul Plaintiff?" If at least 9 of 12 (75%) of the trial’s jurors answer "Yes" to this Verdict question, Paul Plaintiff will have met his burden of proving that Debbie Defendant negligently caused him injuries. The same result is true in a matter a Jury, where a party bearing the burden of proof will satisfy that burden if at least 75% of the Jurors say they have. Likewise, the parties to the lawsuit can agree in advance if they want to use a particular percentile of the combined juror responses, the mean, the average or some other method for identifying the result of Verdict questions which call for a numeric response — "What percentage of fault do you assign to …?" or "What sum do you find reasonably compensates Paul Plaintiff for …?"
Depending upon the preference of the parties, Jurors who serve at a live hearing will respond to each Verdict question as a group (like in a traditional, state court, jury trial) or individually using the online Jury Verdict process described above.
How can I make sure that my Verdict determinations are accurately recorded?
When you electronically submit your responses to Verdict questions, a copy of your responses should be printed for your records and compared to those posted for your CoPO Juror number on that matter. Any discrepancy in those responses, which will simultaneously be transmitted to the parties/parties' attorneys and any judge/neutral, should immediately be reported.
How will I know how my fellow Jurors decided?
For a limited time following the issuance of a matter's Verdict, the Jurors who served on that matter will be able to see the Verdict responses.
How and when do I get paid for my service?
Subject to CoPO's schedule of Jury Fees and Terms of Jury Service, Jurors will be sent a check in the mail, or paid via PayPal, within 7 days of the completion of the hearing in which they participated.
Does my service as a Juror affect my civic duty to serve as a juror if and when summoned?
No. CoPO is a private, jury dispute evaluation and resolution service, and is not affiliated with any governmental entity or court system. Jurors are NOT excused from complying with any official jury summons they may receive, or from providing jury service as required by law. Likewise, participants are NOT statutorily entitled to take leave from any other employment they may have, and they are NOT entitled to compensation from their employers, for jury service provided through CoPO.
COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION. AN ALTERNATE DISPUTE EVALUATION AND RESOLUTION SERVICE FOR A MODERN AGE.