Some of the concerns raised by jurors who have sought me out had to do with their not feeling a sense of connection with the therapist provided through the juror support program. I'm a forensic psychologist. The last line of my bio for any presentation reads, “Dr. Baillie appears frequently before the courts, usually as an expert and only occasionally as an accused.”
I'm used to being there. I understand the processes. I understand that jurors can be affected by even something as simple as the layout of the courtroom, the location of the jury rooms, and the parking difficulties at the courthouse. I think jurors feel a sense of connection and would welcome an opportunity to talk about their experiences with somebody who has been involved in the process, an involvement that some counsellors may not have had. They may be brilliant counsellors or therapists, but without having the legal or courtroom background, they don't understand. For example, if a juror says there was a voir dire and they were off for three days, and the counsellor asks what a voir dire is, that kind of interrupts the counselling process. The juror now has to do the educational part of it.