If you have just received notification through the mail that you are being called for jury selection and you have never gone through this process before, you might find yourself wondering what you can expect. Keep reading in order to have a better understanding of what you are about to experience.
The Selection Process
Many people are going to receive the same exact notice that you have, but there are limited seats for the actual jury. The reason more are called to appear at court than there are available spots is because not everyone will qualify. Each person will be questioned by both the defense attorney and the prosecution in order to make sure that you are technically eligible to serve on the jury. They will also ask questions to help them determine which people they really want on the jury in order to help their case. The defense and prosecution each get to pick jurors. Some of the things that could have you automatically disqualified from serving on the jury would be apparent racism or other prejudice, knowing the individuals involved in the case, or if you have a personal or professional connection to local law enforcement.
Serving On The Jury
If you are selected to be one of the people to serve as a juror, you will need to take your role very seriously. You, as well as your fellow jurors, have a serious job to do and it is one that can impact that lives of many people. You will be asked to refrain from speaking about the trial in any way, shape, or form until the trial is completely over. This means you cannot talk to anyone about what you are witnessing in the trial such as your co-workers, the press, or even your spouse. You will be expected to pay close attention to everything that is said and shown in court and make a judgement based on the best of your ability. You will need to be able to talk with your fellow jurors in order to hopefully come up with a unanimous decision, whether it is a guilty or not-guilty verdict.
Should you feel that you would not be able to serve on the jury should you be selected, you can call to talk to the officials at the number listed on the paper that you have received. Not having anyone to care for your small children while you would be away or having certain medical conditions can excuse you from even having to go in for the jury selection process.
Share1 June 2018
