Jurors Play Lawyer in Vioxx Case, Asking Tough Questions.

Discusses the involvement of the jury in the questioning of witnesses during the case that will decide whether Merck & Co. should be liable for the heart attack of a man who took its Vioxx painkiller. Requirement that the judge select questions to read from those written down by the jurors; Potential for the jurors to clarify issues to their own satisfaction, giving lawyers a chance to see where they have failed to explain an issue or make a point; Reference to the fact that the jurors' questions in this case seem to suggest that they are skeptical of both sides and are trying to rule out whether the plaintiff's heart attack could have been caused by something other than Vioxx; Indication that the relatively well-educated jurors are engaging with the complex scientific questions before them; Comparison with the jury in a similar case in Texas which involved Vioxx.