“I hired Deb Strout Jury Consulting to do a focus group for a serious criminal matter. She gathered a diverse cross section of people from the community to participate in the focus group. For several hours, participants were provided with different facts from the case and asked to comment with their thoughts and opinions. The information that I learned from the focus group reinforced some of my preexisting thoughts about the case, and also helped me assess which facts may be more helpful than others to present to a jury. I would not hesitate to hire Deb for another focus group and think that all litigators working on serious matters – civil or criminal – will benefit from focus groups. Sometimes as lawyers we have tunnel vision and can only see our side of the case. But what we think does not matter. It matters what a jury thinks, and a focus group gives us the opportunity to get insight into how potential jurors may view our facts.”
Amber Tucker
Law Offices of Amber Tucker LLC, Portland, ME
“I highly recommend engaging in a focus group with Deb Strout Jury Consulting! I worked with Deb on a focus group for a criminal matter where my client was facing a felony offense and significant jail time. Deb made sure we were in a private and comfortable environment to get honest feedback from our focus group, and even recorded the session for me to reference later. Deb brought Attorney Verne Paradie to moderate the group, and he brought an unbiased approach to the questions for the focus group and ensured I would hear honest feedback about my case. It helped me gain great insight into what a jury might want to know about my case, and it helped us figure out whether to take a proposed deal or proceed to trial. We decided to proceed to trial based on what we heard and learned that our theory of the case resonated with the average person. We ended up getting an offer too good to refuse later on, and my client avoided a felony conviction and will only go to an alternative sentencing program in lieu of jail. We wouldn’t be where we were without the insight we gained in the focus group, and I’m very grateful to Deb Strout Jury Consulting.”
Nathan Hitchcock
The Maine Criminal Defense Group, Kennebunk, ME
“Working with Deb has been an amazing experience. She’s smart and has great instincts. The jury selection software she brings to the table really helped us with jury selection. There are so many jurors with preconceived notions about crimes, about clients, about victims, etc., which you could ever learn without a jury consultant like Deb. She put the work in to make sure we knew everything there was to know about each juror, helped us create the criteria for jurors from 1-5, and sat through jury selection with us, making recommendations about who to keep and who to strike. I can’t believe that I spent the first 17 years of criminal defense without a jury consultant. Never again. We’ll always use Deb in the future. Oh, as an aside, she’s a GREAT fashion consultant. She gave us great feedback on colors for jury selection and trial, as well as how to dress our client appropriately for court.”
William T. Bly
The Maine Criminal Defense Group, Kennebunk, ME
“Deb has been an integral part of my team on two separate jury selection events. On the first jury selection, we were unable to seat a jury due to our inability to find 32 fair and impartial jurors. If it hadn’t been for Deb, that jury would have been HEAVILY tilted against my client from the start. That would have made getting a not guilty verdict extraordinarily difficult. During our second round together, she helped me identify jurors that would be open and sympathetic to our story. She stayed with us through all 4 days of trial, providing me with crucial feedback as to which jurors I needed to put more time in to persuade on the jury. She provided me with excellent feedback on my opening, cross exams, directs, and closing arguments. She even gave me ideas for cross-examination on the “victim” that hadn’t occurred to me. To say Deb was an invaluable asset on my team would be an understatement. Frankly, if any attorney goes forward without Deb on their criminal defense trial, they’re probably committing malpractice. Thank you, Deb. I couldn’t have secured that not guilty for my client without your help.”
William T. Bly
The Maine Criminal Defense Group, Kennebunk, ME
THIS IS THE TESTIMONIAL OF THE DEFENDANT, Jeremy Attorney Bill Bly mentions in the above-testimonial:
“A fantastic choice and by far a great addition to any legal team. Miss Deb Strout Definitely is someone who you would want in your corner with her words of compassion, caring and wisdom. She takes her job above and beyond the normal practices and knows how to pick a jury with research listening and observing. I couldn’t have asked for a better soul to be around to help me through these tough times. Miss Deb Strout is one of a kind and whom I consider one of my GUARDIAN ANGELS in helping me to get my life back and I will forever be grateful to this woman and what she did for me Signed…An innocent and free man thanks to the effort and wisdom of Miss Deb Strout.”