Episode #4 - Protect Autonomy

The biggest thing you can do to protect a juror’s autonomy,
​is to actually give them a choice.

Don't Miss These Highlights:

• ​The lack of autonomy is a huge threat to jurors.  It's what makes them feel like hostages! [1:24]
• What is "autonomy" and how does it play into our sense of safety? [1:57]
• The real reason jurors are so hostile is that they are being forced to participate.  They don't have a choice. [2:35]
• Hear Sari read an excerpt from her book, From Hostage to Hero, due out in 2019! [3:21]
• Start by acknowledging resistance but speak to the juror's choice to be part of the process [5:42]
• Get their buy-in early and often and you'll see that jurors begin to willingly give up their autonomy to join your cause. [10:09]

Resource List & Quick Links:

• ​Check out David Rock's book Your Brain At Work.
• Catch up on earlier episodes.  Listen to Ep. 2: We Must Preserve A Juror's Status and Ep. 3 Get To The Point now.
• Visit our Trial Consulting page to see all the ways you could work with Sari.
• Join our mailing list to stay up to date with Sari's news and activities!
• Need help working up your voir dire or your opening statement?  Or just want to brainstorm through your case?  Set up a FREE 30-minute Strategy Session with Sari. 
• Get social!  Follow Sari on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram

TRANSCRIPTION:
​You’re listening to From Hostage to Hero Podcast Episode number 4.  The biggest thing you can do to protect a juror’s autonomy, is to actually give them a choice.
 
Welcome to From Hostage to Hero, a podcast where trial lawyers learn how to free themselves and the jury. And now your host, Sari de la Motte…
 
Welcome to the From Hostage to Hero Podcast, my name is Sari de la Motte, aka the Attorney Whisperer. I’m so thrilled that you’re here and listening; I’m having such fun recording these podcasts and hope you’re having as much fun listening to them as I am creating them.
 
In the last several podcasts we’ve been talking about the concept of juror as hostage. We’ve talked about the S-C-A-R-F model from David Rock, author of Your Brain at Work, and the five social needs that when threatened, can activate the survival instinct in the brain. Those five things are Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness and Fairness. 
 
We’ve also been moving through theFive ‘P’s’ that will help us reverse the threat jury selection creates, those P’s being:

1. Preserve Status
2. Provide Certainty
3. Protect Autonomy
4. Promote Relatedness
5. Prove Fairness

 
We tackled Provide Certainty in the last podcast, so in today’s podcast, let’s move onto “Protect Autonomy.” 
 
Ooh, this is the big one, isn’t it? Yes, jury selection threatens a juror’s status by making them speak in public, in front of a group of strangers, and yes, jurors have the least amount of information in the room which threatens certainty, but lack of autonomy is the big threat to jurors. It’s what makes them hostages!
 
Jurors cannot choose to not attend jury selection. They MUST attend. This threatens their autonomy. So let’s talk about why this is such a big deal and how you can reverse this threat. 

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