The Impact of the Vicinage Requirement: An Empirical Look

This is rather an introductory sampling article drawn from data generated by what is now familiarly known as the University of Chicago Jury Project. It was a study of twenty-three consecutively tried jury trials in a federal district court in the Midwest. The author personally observed all of such trials from beginning to end. All but a few lawyers serving in them were intensively interviewed, and with the court's permission, 225 jurors participating in such cases were interviewed. There were sixteen civil cases and seven criminal cases. I. Introduction II. The Data … A. Juror Knowledge of Local Conditions … (1) Personal Injury Cases … (2) Criminal Cases … B. Juror Contacts with Parties … C. Juror Contacts with Witnesses … D. Juror Contacts with Attorneys … E. Juror Contacts with Other Jurors III. Conclusion