Jurisdictions in Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, and Washington and run post-trial debriefing programs designed to help jurors confront feelings of anxiety, grief, anger, and depression, reports USA Today. A juror-counseling program in King County Superior Court in Seattle has provided stress debriefing to jurors since 1998. Court official Paul Manolopoulos estimates that the program is used six to eight times a year.
Funding is provided by the county’s self-insured risk-management pool. After a verdict, counselors provide therapy in a group setting with interested jurors. “It’s preferred that the entire group stick around,” Manolopoulos says. “But some may choose not to do it.” In a pilot program, Oakland County, a Detroit suburb, plans to use a psychiatric facility called Common Ground Sanctuary to provide post-trial counseling for jurors.
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-11-25-Jurorstress_N.htm