July 9, 2024
IMS Senior Jury Consulting Advisor Melissa Gomez, PhD joined Fredricka Whitfield on CNN last Sunday to offer her expert analysis and predictions on the jury selection process for actor Alec Baldwin's criminal trial. Jury selection is scheduled to commence on July 9, 2024, in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
During the interview, Fredricka asked Dr. Gomez about potential hurdles the prosecution and defense would face in such a high-profile case and the expected duration of the jury selection process. She highlighted that while a high-profile defendant can complicate jury selection, it merely adds another layer of questions that the judge and attorneys must ask the potential jurors. Dr. Gomez stated, "The real question is whether they [the jurors] have already gathered opinions based on what they have seen in the media about this specific case."
Dr. Gomez also discussed the impact of the defendant's presence in the courtroom during jury selection. She noted, "This is something that happens with every criminal defendant in every trial: jurors are going to be watching him. Seeing how he reacts." Dr. Gomez went on to state that because of the nature of Alec Baldwin’s career, jurors will be watching his reactions closely during the trial.
