Last month, the Conference on Crimes Against Women celebrated Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month. Officially declared Gay & Lesbian Pride Month in 1999, by then…
Prosecutors know they need 12 jurors to be unanimous for a conviction. What most prosecutors don’t know is that it is the 13th juror in the box who controls the fate of their case. The 13th juror is never selected for jury duty but is present in every case and who is the expert on what “real” rape looks like and how “real” rape victims and “real” rapists behave. The 13th juror can infuse myth and bias into every aspect of the case and entirely influence charging standards. Allowing myth and bias to impact prosecutorial decisions leads to low prosecution and conviction rates. This two-part workshop will cover how the 13th juror impacts charging decisions, describe standards for charging that eliminate myth and bias from their decision-making, trauma-informed trial practices from voir dire through closing arguments, and how to educate a jury on myths and bias, utilizing expert witnesses.