Three other potential jurors were dismissed, two by the defense and one by the prosecution, as the two sides exercised the first of the 14 challenges each may use to excuse jurors they don't want on the panel, without stating a cause. Each time a juror came before the defense for dismissal or seating, Fargo huddled with Carruth and defense lawyers David Rudolf and Chris Fialko, helping decide whether to use a challenge or let the juror on the panel. Fargo, who has undergraduate and master's degrees in sociology, has been a full-time jury consultant with Jury Services Inc. of Washington for 25 years. She said jury consultants try to anticipate not just how an individual juror will view the case, but how that person might affect the jury as a whole. Some people carry more weight in a jury room.
Jury deliberation is a group process.
You have leaders and followers. When consulting for a defense team, Fargo is heavily involved in trial preparations. In cases where the defense can afford it, she may run a telephone poll of potential jury pool members or focus groups and mock trials on the case. Such procedures help isolate those factors which could make a juror more likely to acquit. And, of course, she's right there during the selection process, watching over the defense attorney's shoulder.