Exploring juror stress in one -day /one -trial jurisdictions

The groundwork for this study is based on an examination of juror stress that was performed by the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) entitled, "Through the Eyes of the Juror: A Manual for Addressing Juror Stress." The major objective of the NCSC analysis was to identify sources of juror stress. The purpose of my thesis is to build upon the research performed by the NCSC. Specifically, this study will distill the scope of data analysis to determine whether, overall, juror stress (as measured by the combining of the variables demonstrating the major relationships between jury service and stress) is less prevalent with jurors serving in one-day/one-trial jurisdictions contrasted with jurors who served in non-one-day/one-day-trial jurisdictions. In testing the outcome of this hypothesis, I will also incorporate demographic characteristics with the intent to explore further what juror stress profiles can be formulated. In constructing models (groups) of key jury stress factors, I hope to further refine an understanding of the concept of juror stress, especially as it would help to identify juror stress profiles that can be understood within the broader scope of the one-day/one-trial question. By enriching our understanding of the concept of juror stress as potentially related to certainty of service (one-day/one-trial), it is my expectation that an important and relevant breadth of knowledge can be injected to the field of justice administration. I would anticipate that the prospective implications of this study would be of considerable interest and importance to judicial policymakers and especially to those jurisdictions that are weighing the benefits and ramifications of the one-day/one-trial concept. In identifying supplementary relationships between stress and jury service, it is logical to anticipate that this study would stimulate judicial policymakers to explore reasonable techniques aimed at reducing stress of jurors in those areas the courts effectively direct or manage.