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, can read and understand English, and 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. Some information, such as your name and address, is required. For other questions, you may choose “Decline to Answer” if that option is available. However, before requesting to serve on a case, you may want to reconsider any declined responses, as attorneys may take both your answers and any omissions into account during 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 Jurors on upcoming hearings. As hearings are scheduled with CoPO, those Jurors will be sent an email invitation to “Request to Serve” as Jurors on those hearings.
With the exception of your Private Information, attorneys may also use the information you provide, alone or combined with written or oral questions, to perform Jury Selection. This is the process by which the pool of Jurors is narrowed down to the panel that will ultimately hear and decide the case.
Additionally, without identifying your Private Information, the demographic information you provide during registration may be used by attorneys to look for patterns in how their Jury panel responded to the 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 actions necessary for your Jury service.
How do I get on a Jury pool?
If you are qualified (meaning you are available and live in a specified location), and you want to serve as a Juror on a particular case, and you have no issues that would 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 may be negative consequences if you fail to serve after submitting a request.
How do I get out of the pool and onto a Jury panel?
Once the pool is filled, and no later than 7 days before the hearing, you must submit an online “Confirmation of Attendance.” Failure to confirm in time will result in your removal from that matter’s Jury pool and may lead to additional consequences.
Submitting a Confirmation of Attendance guarantees that you will be paid for at least one half-day of service, unless the hearing is timely canceled or continued, or you are 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 to a Jury may be preceded by a Jury selection process similar to what would occur before a courtroom trial, with the first Jurors to submit a Request to Serve being the first 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 submitted by the parties, and knowledge of how many Jurors are needed (including alternates), the parties can conduct a virtual Jury selection process and excuse Jurors before the hearing begins.
Excused Jurors will be compensated as provided in CoPO’s Terms of Jury Service.
Will I receive any reminders?
Jurors are solely responsible for submitting their Confirmations of Attendance on time and for providing their service as scheduled. CoPO may assist by sending email 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 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 asked to notify Court of Public Opinion immediately if you are unable to begin or complete your Jury service. Unless there are extraordinary circumstances, such as a verifiable hospitalization or death of the Juror or someone in their household, canceling your Jury service may result in negative consequences for you and your ability to be a Juror in the future.
What do I need to serve?
For online service, you do not need anything special other than your PC, notebook, laptop, or tablet, loaded with Google Chrome, and a reliable internet connection.
Minimum requirements:
– Operating system: Windows, Mac 2012 and newer.
– Google Chrome Browser
– 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
How does online service compare to service at a hearing presented to a Jury live?
Jurors who serve online are not required to attend a hearing at a specific time or place. Instead, they are required to view recorded proceedings during a designated window of time, allowing them to pause and resume the hearing when it is most convenient. The online experience is designed to mirror what Jurors at a live proceeding would encounter, including access to text, photo, and video exhibits, as well as any provided Jury instructions.
Can’t I just cheat?
To serve in any matter, each CoPO Juror must make several declarations under penalty of perjury. These include:
- Representations made in your Juror Registration
- Confirmation that you can be impartial in the matter you are assigned
- Responses to any questions submitted by the attorneys
- Affirmation that your Verdict responses are your own
Any Juror who violates their obligation to provide true and accurate information may be referred for civil or criminal prosecution.
All Jurors are required to view the same testimony and evidence within the same general time frame, respond to Verdict questions, and fulfill the purpose of their service. Online Jurors must complete viewing of the case by the start of deliberations to be eligible to respond to Verdict questions and receive compensation.
Because CoPO cannot place courtroom attendants in every Juror’s home, protocols are in place to ensure full participation. The fast-forward and skip functions will be disabled for any portion of the hearing not yet viewed. Additionally, at intervals during playback, a confirmation box will appear on the screen. If the prompt is not acknowledged correctly and within the allowed time, the video will automatically rewind to the last segment where a confirmation was completed on time.
How do Jurors deliberate?
Jurors who serve through CoPO review uploaded evidence, recorded testimony, and Jury instructions using their own devices. Deliberation takes place at a designated time through an online, hearing-specific chat board. This setup is designed to mirror the structure and goals of traditional Jury deliberations while operating entirely online.
At CoPO, Jurors deliberate at a designated time using an online, hearing-specific chat board. This process is designed to simulate the collaborative nature of in-person deliberations while allowing Jurors to participate remotely.
How do Jurors arrive at a Verdict?
Jurors who serve online will answer each Verdict question individually through the CoPO platform. Each issue is resolved by combining the responses of all participating Jurors.
For example, in a civil case, a party with the burden of proof must receive agreement from at least 75% of the Jurors to prevail on an issue. If the question is, “Did Debbie Defendant negligently cause injuries to Paul Plaintiff?” and 9 out of 12 Jurors (75%) answer “Yes,” then Paul Plaintiff has met his burden of proof.
Parties may also agree in advance to use an alternative method for calculating results, such as the average, median, or another formula. This applies to questions requiring numeric responses, such as:
- “What percentage of fault do you assign to…?”
- “What sum do you find reasonably compensates Paul Plaintiff for…?”
This approach mirrors the fact-finding and burden-of-proof framework used in traditional courtrooms, adapted for online Jury service.
How can I make sure that my Verdict determinations are accurately recorded?
When you submit your responses to Verdict questions, you should save or print a copy and compare it to what appears under your CoPO Juror number. If there is any discrepancy between your records and the posted result, also shared with attorneys and any judge or neutral, you should report it immediately.
How will I know how my fellow Jurors decided?
For a limited time after the Verdict is issued, the Jurors who served on that matter will be able to view the combined 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 receive compensation within 7 days of the conclusion of the hearing in which they participated. Payment will be issued using the method selected during registration, which can be updated in your account profile.
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 responding to any official Jury summons they may receive or from fulfilling Jury service as required by law. Similarly, participants are not statutorily entitled to take leave from any other employment they may have, nor are they entitled to employer compensation for Jury service provided through CoPO.