THE SECRET MEANING OF EYEBROWS

LAW According to Dallas trial consultant BRUCE VAUGHN, getting selected for a jury may be more complicated than you imagine. In fact, your outfit, hair style, body shape, and facial features help decide whether you’ll be chosen or deemed “too opinionated” for the attorneys.

Vaughn, who makes the bulk of his income by advising attorneys who are interviewing potential jurors, claims there are 68 facial features that indicate something about personality, ranging from the shape of the nose to the thickness of the lips. Moon-shaped eyebrows, for instance, indicate a great need for harmony in life, and thin, fine hair means a person is sensitive. A heavier person is usually considered “more generous,” Vaughn says, and would be helpful to attorneys hoping to get a larger settlement for their clients.

However, Dr. ROBERT GORDON, a psychologist and an attorney at the Wilmington Institute in Dallas, which specializes in forensic psychology, scoffs at the idea of determining attitudes by appearance. Gordon, who was part of former Police Chief MACK VINES’ S defense team, prefers to conduct focus groups when consulting on a case. The institute also has a mock courtroom where cases can be “tried” beforehand by a jury comprised of research subjects. But Vaughn still believes that if you’re looking for a way out of that dreaded jury duty. you should try teasing your hair, losing some weight. and avoiding eye contact during questioning.

Even better, try wearing all red. It signifies danger.