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.