Have you ever been on a jury for criminal case? It's not like Law and Order where the evidence is that clear cut.

Having been on a federal jury for a gun running charge, I can't even begin to describe how difficult that moment is when the future of someone's life is in your hands. I think the maximum penalty was only 7 years, but even that is enough for you to question every shread of evidence both sides presented.

The difference is that in a criminal trial, if the evidence is not that clear cut then the decision is easy: acquit. Criminal trials require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, and a unanimous verdict. Civil suits only require a 'preponderance of evidence' and only a bare majority of the jury. It's far more wishy-washy, and in a patent suit like this one the issues are far more complicated.

The stakes are significantly higher in this case than a death sentence. Statistically, human lives are in the US are valued at about 8 million dollars.

Fun fact: Tell people DNA evidence is 99.9% accurate and labs and other facilities make mistakes 10% of the time, ordinary people think that the probability of DNA evidence in court is valid is something like the average of the individual probabilities.