Courtesy of Arielle Harrison, KUTV – Click Here to Read the Original Article

SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) — After years of national attention, the Kouri Richins murder case is moving into its next phase.

Richins is charged with murdering her husband, Eric Richins, in March 2022. While the long-awaited trial is set to begin later this month, jury selection starts Tuesday in Summit County.

The process begins with a 23-page jury questionnaire containing 99 questions, offering a detailed look at how attorneys on both sides plan to identify and eliminate potential jurors in one of Utah’s most high-profile cases.

“It’s about as long as I’ve ever seen,” said Nathan Evershed, a former prosecutor who is not affiliated with the case.

The questionnaire asks prospective jurors about where they get their news, television programs they regularly watch, bumper stickers on their vehicles, organizations they’ve donated money to, and whether they have been divorced.

“Both sides, really trying to get intrusive, and they’re doing a very effective job at that,” Evershed said.

Evershed has more than 20 years of experience working with juries, including jury selection. After reviewing the questionnaire, he said many of the questions fall within standard practice, but others go much deeper.

“What is typical is to ask questions, biographical information, family background, things like that. If you know about the case, if you formed opinions, all that is quite typical,” he said.

He noted the turning point in the questionnaire for this case comes when questions move beyond the basic background.

“When they started getting into opinions about the case, when they started getting into backgrounds of connections with victim rights organizations, social media accounts, these things, you can see they’re really trying to get granular on this,” Evershed said. “Tell us about what you listen to. Tell us about social media. Tell us about very specific opinions on very specific things.”

Last week, the judge denied the defense team’s second request to move the trial out of Summit County, a community some have questioned as a venue for a fair trial.

“It’s unique for the area. This happened in Kamas, which is a small community here in Utah. Everyone knows everyone,” said Malynda Ruth, a Utah-based jury consultant who is also not connected to the case.

“It has affluence with it, and the money and greed, and all these things that make it one of those juicy things that neighbors would want to talk about,” Ruth said.

Ruth said the court will spend five days collecting and analyzing responses from the questionnaires in an effort to seat 12 jurors and alternates.

“It’s called the ‘Voir Dire’ process. They have all the questionnaire answers, and then they have the jurors come in in different panels, depending on the numbers, and the judge asks them questions, and often the attorneys will have a chance to ask questions,” she said.

If she were working on the case, Ruth said she would be watching not only what jurors say, but how they say it and how others react in the room.

“It’s not so much even how they are responding to their own responses. It’s also how the other people in the room are responding to the person responding,” she said.

The selection process includes striking jurors for cause, meaning they are dismissed due to clear conflicts or limitations.

“Meaning if there’s a scheduling issue or it’s just a blatant, like you have a hearing loss or a blatant bias, you know someone involved in the case, you’ll be struck, and you’ll be released to go home,” Ruth said.

Beyond that, each side is also given a limited number of strikes set by the judge.

“There’s a lot going into the selection process, not just of, is this a non-biased juror? But they’re thinking small group dynamics,” Ruth said. “A good prosecutor is going to be looking to get a group of humans together that looks like they could be cohesive in their decision-making. Whereas defense is going to look for people that might be willing to stand on their own a little and challenge the norms.”

Ruth said the five-day timeline is typical for jury selection in a case of this size.

If the court cannot find an ideal jury within that window, the options are limited.

“They have to choose from who they’ve got. So that’s the way our court system is,” Ruth said.

The murder trial is scheduled to begin Feb. 23.

Magna Legal Services Named a 2025 “Best Of” Winner by The Recorder

PHILADELPHIA, June 27, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Magna Legal Services is proud to announce its recognition as a top service provider in four categories in The Recorder’s 2025 “Best Of” survey, published by ALM.

“Our Language Services and Record Retrieval departments have seen huge growth since being established in-house a decade ago. It’s great to see the dedication of each department’s staff reflected in year’s rankings.” -Peter Hecht, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Sales

Magna was voted as a leader in End-to-End Litigation Consulting Services, Jury/Trial Consulting Services, Foreign Language Translation Provider, and Document Management Solutions for Retrieved Records

“Our Language Services and Record Retrieval departments have seen huge growth since being established in-house a decade ago. It’s great to see the dedication of each department’s staff reflected in year’s rankings,” said Peter Hecht, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Sales at Magna Legal Services. “We are honored to be recognized by The Recorder again for our outstanding services and grateful for all our California clients that voted for us.”

Each year, The Recorder invites its readers—including legal professionals throughout California—to participate in a comprehensive online survey identifying the top providers in legal support services. The results, based entirely on reader input, are showcased in a special issue honoring excellence in the legal community.

The “Best Of” rankings spotlight the industry’s most trusted names, particularly those supporting the intersection of law, business, and technology. Magna’s consistent presence among the winners reflects its deep commitment to serving law firms, insurance carriers, and in-house counsel at Fortune 100 companies and beyond.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the impact of our litigation, jury, and trial consulting work reflected in this feedback from the legal community,” added Mark Calzaretta, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Litigation Consulting. “We take pride in delivering exceptional service across the board.”

Courtesy of Jenna Sundel – Newsweek | Click Here to Read the Original Article

What’s New

In some corners of the internet, users are commenting on accused UnitedHealthcare CEO killer Luigi Mangione’s appearance, a factor that a jury consulting expert says could impact the jury pool in his trial.

Dr. David Barnard, director of jury consulting at Magna Legal Services, spoke to Newsweek about how appearance can influence jurors and how the phenomenon applies in Mangione’s case.

Why It Matters

The CEO of UnitedHealthcare, 50-year-old Brian Thompson, was shot and killed outside a Hilton hotel in Midtown Manhattan on December 4. The suspect fled following the shooting.

Mangione, 26, was taken into custody at a McDonald’s in Altoona, Pennsylvania, on December 9 in connection with the killing.

Mangione was arraigned in federal court on Thursday on two counts of stalking, one count of murder through use of a firearm and a firearms offense. He also faces multiple state charges in New York and Pennsylvania.

What to Know

Barnard said a defendant’s appearance can influence jurors “whether they know it or not.”

“As a jury consultant, I’ve observed the ‘attractive-defendant effect’ in action,” Barnard said. “This phenomenon has been well-documented in academic research, showing that conventionally attractive defendants often receive more favorable treatment and outcomes in legal settings compared to their less attractive counterparts.”

While the phenomenon has been well-established, it does not mean a defendant with a “pretty face” can simply “get away with murder,” Barnard explained. Instead, jurors are likely to associate one’s appearance with traits like honesty, reliability and morality.

“This bias can result in increased sympathy or leniency for the defendant, sometimes overriding the evidence presented,” Barnard said. “For example, jurors who believe Mr. Mangione committed the crime might still be inclined to find him guilty of a lesser charge if such an option exists, particularly if factors, such as mental illness, are introduced.”

Barnard said it is “entirely possible” that Mangione’s appearance could influence jurors.

“In a case as high-profile as this, where Mangione has received significant attention online for his looks, jurors may bring those discussions into the courtroom—consciously or not,” Barnard said. “When a defendant’s appearance becomes a focal point, it can overshadow the facts of the case and skew perceptions of their character and credibility.”

Barnard emphasized that it will be “vital” for the prosecution and defense to keep this issue in mind during jury selection and the trial. He added that not all jurors are equally likely to be influenced by physical appearance.

“Personality research shows that some jurors are emotional (or intuitive) thinkers who tend to “go with their gut,” while others are rational thinkers who aim to process information analytically,” Barnard said.

He also warned that Mangione’s appearance could influence his trial in a negative manner.

“His conduct and composure in the courtroom will matter,” Barnard said. “Should he decide to testify, his attractiveness might even become a liability if jurors feel he is using it to curry favor or distract from the facts of the case.”

What People Are Saying

New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg, in an interview with ABC News: “I sit across the table from families who’ve had a loved one killed. And to think of people celebrating that…is beyond comprehension to me.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro: “In some dark corners, this killer is being hailed as a hero. Hear me on this: He is no hero.”

What Happens Next

Mangione is facing charges in three different jurisdictions. Blair County District Attorney Peter Weeks said on Thursday that his office’s case will remain “active,” but Mangione will not have to face it until the New York case is finished.

“As a practical matter, it would have been laughable and a waste of resources and time for us to try and keep this defendant for our charges and delay New York’s custody of the defendant for the more serious case,” Weeks said.

Why Weinstein Jurors Delivered A Mixed Verdict

Published by Law360 (December 21, 2022, 10:27 PM EST) —

The jurors who voted to acquit Harvey Weinstein on certain charges in his Los Angeles rape trial — leading to hung verdicts on multiple counts — couldn’t understand why several accusers had contact with Weinstein after he allegedly assaulted them, several jurors said in interviews after the final verdict on
Tuesday.

Weinstein was convicted of rape and sexual assault charges related to a victim known as Jane Doe 1, but the jury deadlocked on counts connected to two other accusers — including Jennifer Siebel Newsom, wife of California Gov. Gavin Newsom — and cleared the former media mogul of a sexual battery count connected to a fourth accuser.

One juror, who asked to only be identified as Jay, told reporters that jurors felt “horrible” for all the accusers and that the not guilty votes came down not to the accusers being disbelieved, but rather reasonable doubt linked to the accusers’ actions after the alleged attacks.

“Everybody seemed very believable — it’s just hard to prove all it through time and memory, and it’s their word against, you know, it’s just their word,” Jay said. “And then you look at everything else that transpired, all of the actions afterward and sometimes before, and so you just try to put it all together.”

Mark Calzaretta, founding partner of jury consulting firm Magna Legal Services, told Law360 that without physical evidence to back up a sexual assault accusation, jurors will “judge” victims. Calzaretta was not directly involved in the case but said he followed the proceedings closely.

“They’re going to judge them,” Calzaretta said. “I don’t think it’s necessarily blaming the victim, but when you have somebody who it’s their word against somebody else’s, does it fit the construct that the jurors believe is a reasonable construct and reasonable action?”

Siebel Newsom, for instance, exchanged many friendly communications with Weinstein after she claims he raped her, and some of the jurors appeared to question that behavior, Calzaretta said.

“With certain victims that testified, like … with the governor’s wife, for example, you’re talking about coming back years and years later after a lot of these alleged assaults occurred and then, you know, there’s like not a lot of physical evidence,” he said. “A lot of their behavior gets questioned now.”

Click here to read the full article on Law360.com

Magna Legal Services Acquires On Time Reporting, Inc.

PHILADELPHIA, PA — Magna Legal Services is pleased to announce the acquisition of On Time Reporting, Inc.

On Time was founded in Long Island by Debra Coletto and has since established itself as one of the largest independent providers of court reporting services in the Long Island and New York region.

On Time represents a highly complementary partnership for Magna that enhances Magna’s existing capabilities and market position in New York. “On Time is a fantastic fit with Magna’s existing service offering,” said Mark Williams, Magna’s CEO, “We believe that the combination of the two organizations will result in attractive growth opportunities and are delighted to welcome On Time into the Magna family.” Founding Partner and Executive Vice President of Sales at Magna, Peter Hecht, added, “We are excited to continue delivering the high-quality court reporting service On Time’s clients have come to expect while also offering access to Magna’s other litigation support service lines.”

“Our firms’ complementary industry strengths, similar collaborative culture and focus on exceptional service will be valued by clients in New York,” said On Time Founder Debra Coletto. “I am enthusiastic about the next chapter for our clients, court reporters and team members.”

Existing On Time operations will continue business as usual, and On Time clients will receive the same level of high-quality customer support as prior to the partnership. On Time will continue its operations based in Mineola, NY.

About Magna Legal Services

Magna is a leading provider of litigation support services to law firms, insurance companies, and corporations, offering a broad array of services that support clients through each phase of the litigation process, including court reporting, graphics design, jury consulting, record retrieval, and translation services.

This article was originally published on JUNE 13, 2022 by SERMA on Cision PR Web

 

Sports and Entertainment Risk Management Alliance (SERMA) appointed Peter Hecht to the SERMA Advisory Board, effective June 1, 2022. Mr. Hecht serves as a member of the Board’s Marketing Committee. The Board is comprised of 21 advisors representing various industry perspectives.

“We are pleased to welcome Peter Hecht to the SERMA Board,” said Rich Lenkov, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of SERMA. “Peter’s deep experience in litigation support and consulting services along with his diverse relationships in the legal and claims community will be invaluable to SERMA as we pursue our mission to serve the sports and entertainment industry.”

Peter Hecht serves as Partner, Executive Vice President of Sales, and Board of Directors member for Magna Legal Services, an end-to-end litigation support and consulting company which provides court reporting, medical record retrieval, legal interpretation services, visual communications and jury research services.

Mr. Hecht co-founded Magna LS in 2007. Headquartered in Philadelphia, PA, the company is recognized as a top legal services provider nationwide, and in 2021 alone, was selected as “Best of” in eighty (80) categories across six ALM publications.

“I’m delighted to have the opportunity to join SERMA’s advisory board,” said Peter Hecht. “I appreciate the board’s confidence in me and could not be more excited to collaborate with the team of advisors in making a positive impact in the sports and entertainment industry.”

This collaboration will also extend more networking and educational opportunities for SERMA members with Magna’s interactive legal conferences, CLEs and CEs.

About SERMA:
The Sports and Entertainment Risk Management Alliance (SERMA) is the first risk management association devoted entirely to the sports and entertainment industries. The organization serves a central marketplace of ideas, resources and opportunities for risk managers, claims managers, general counsels, outside counsel and other professionals in the industry.