As a very naive watcher, how can a judge sense what the jurors are thinking? I’m sure this is true for a veteran judge, but I’m curious what he looks for or what he sees to believe a non guilty verdict. This is quite interesting. Thanks for your answer.
The most obvious indicator is body language. If, when the defense is presenting their case the jurors are giving their rapt attention, as opposed to the state’s case where they may well be seen looking inattentive or outright bored.
“As a very naive watcher, how can a judge sense what the jurors are thinking? I’m sure this is true for a veteran judge, but I’m curious what he looks for or what he sees to believe a non guilty verdict. This is quite interesting. Thanks for your answer.”
Body language, attentiveness, note-taking. Still, you can never really tell until they deliver a verdict. I’ve seen a jury deliver a very obvious “not guilty” and have the judge tell them that they got it wrong, but it was their decision to live with. I could tell the jury was coming back with not guilty, but the guy arguing the case was 50/50, and he was looking them in the eyes all day.