What is the jury pool called?
venire
The trial jury in either a civil or criminal case is chosen from a list called a venire or jury pool that has been compiled by the court.
How does the jury vote work?
All jurors should deliberate and vote on each issue to be decided in the case. In a civil case, the judge will tell you how many jurors must agree in order to reach a verdict. In a criminal case, the unanimous agreement of all 12 jurors is required.
What is it called to excuse a juror for any reason?
These are called “peremptory” challenges. Each side may ask the judge to excuse particular jurors. If a juror is excused, this does not imply something bad and does not mean the juror is not competent. It frequently happens that a prospective juror will be excused in a certain case and accepted in a different one.
Who picks a jury?
Lawyers and judges select juries by a process known as “voir dire,” which is Latin for “to speak the truth.” In voir dire, the judge and attorneys for both sides ask potential jurors questions to determine if they are competent and suitable to serve in the case.
Why do lawyers ask personal questions during jury selection?
Some are designed to give insight into personal experiences and potential biases a juror may have about personal injury law suits or the legal system in general. Other questions are designed to allow the lawyers to understand more about your character.
Which is better jury or judge?
Jury trials tend to last longer than non-jury trials, thus raising legal costs. Judges tend to be stricter on legal technicalities and procedures during a jury trial than a non-jury trial.
How is a jury supposed to decide a verdict?
Each jury member is charged with the task of deciding, as an individual, what his or her verdict should be. Collective votes render a verdict, but the verdict is not supposed to be decided collectively.
Why do jurors put pressure on one another?
Each jury member is charged with the task of deciding, as an individual, what her or his verdict should be. In some circumstances, jurors place pressure on one another. They might want to get home, they may feel strongly about a case, or other reasons might apply.
What happens when a jury is deadlocked on a verdict?
Still, jury polling is different than the kind of questioning judges may carry out when juries are deadlocked. Courts have generally found that during the polling, judges should not continue questioning jurors who’ve made it clear they disagree with the verdict.
When do the jurors return to the court?
In a criminal trial, after the jury has finished its deliberations, the jurors return to the court with their collective decision about the defendant’s guilt (or their inability to agree). In federal courts and almost all state courts, that decision must be unanimous.