000143	08whyte_wmp_a_16.wma
000000	MARK SMITH:  Do you have an opinion on letting jurors submit questions to the parties in these complicated cases?
000010	JUDGE WHYTE:  I do have an opinion, but I will say that reasonable minds differ on this.
000017	I'm in favor of it, but there is a concern about how you do it.
000022	Because, I don't think, and I haven't so far, let parties just raise -- or jurors just raise their hands and say, you know, I have a question.
000034	I make them submit them in writing, which then sometimes creates problems because a written question maybe comes in after a particular witness has been excused, 
000044	and that's the witness who could answer the question, or his or her testimony is the reason the question arose.
000053	The argument against allowing questions, one is, if you do it orally, that you don't know what's going to come out.
000101	Secondly, it does take away a little bit of the attorney's control over how the case is presented.
000116	But I think that is outweighed by the benefits of letting the jury tell the attorneys what's on their mind, 
000126	and also lets the attorneys know what it is that maybe they have not presented or need to explain why it's not important.
000139	But I always pre-screen the questions.
000143	MARK SMITH:  Thank you.