During voir dire, the attorneys scrutinize each prospective juror to try to determine if she or he would be sympathetic to one side or the other. The attorneys are also trying to determine if a prospective juror harbors any biases that would prevent them from being impartial.
If a lawyer wishes to have a juror excused, he or she must use a "challenge" for that juror. Challenges are of two kinds: For cause - The law sets forth a number of reasons why jurors may be excused "for cause," that is, for a specified reason, such as bias or prejudice.
Prosecution or defence lawyers could 'challenge' you if they think you should not serve as a juror. They must give a good reason. If the judge accepts their reason, you won't be allowed to serve as a juror on that particular trial. But you could be called to serve on the jury in another case.
These challenges permit a lawyer to excuse a potential juror without stating a cause. In effect, they allow a lawyer to dismiss a juror because of a belief that the juror will not serve the best interests of the client. Peremptory challenges are limited to a certain number determined by the kind of lawsuit being tried.Sep 9, 2019
Each side may also discharge a certain number of prospective jurors without giving any reasons; these are called peremptory challenges. questions of the prospective jurors is done at the discretion of the judge.
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.
There are three groups that are exempt from federal jury service: members of the armed forces on active duty; members of professional fire and police departments; and. "public officers" of federal, state or local governments, who are actively engaged full-time in the performance of public duties.
A challenge that aims to disqualify a potential juror for some stated reason. Typical reasons include bias, prejudice, or prior knowledge that would prevent impartial evaluation of the evidence presented in court. ACADEMIC TOPICS.
There are two types of challenges; challenge for cause and peremptory challenge.
Challenges for cause are made when voir dire reveals that a juror is not qualified, able, or fit to serve in a particular case. Lawyers generally have an unlimited number of "for cause" challenges available.
When using a challenge for a cause, a juror can be excused by either the defense or prosecution, and no reason for doing so needs to be stated. Grand juries meet in secret, and a person under investigation has no legal right to be present or even to be notified of a grand jury investigation.
With regards to challenges to the polls, a juror can be challenged on the grounds of bias, which would cause him to be unsuitable to try the case. ... The challenge must be lodged before the juror is sworn (Rule 25.8 of the Criminal Procedure Rules) and cannot be exercised during the course of the trial.Jul 10, 2018