What is the process of jury selection for criminal cases?

In Massachusetts, the process of jury selection for criminal cases is a complex system that begins with a jury pool. A jury pool is a large group of citizens randomly selected to possibly serve as jurors for a criminal case. The pool itself is often composed of registered voters, driver’s license holders, and other people who have been randomly chosen from a county’s population list. Once the jury pool is established, the court randomly selects people from the pool for individual jury service. These individuals are then summoned into court to answer questions from both the prosecution and defense lawyers during a process known as voir dire. During this process, lawyers ask potential jurors certain questions to assess their ability to serve as impartial jurors. If a judge allows a lawyer to challenge a potential juror for cause, the challenged individual is removed from the jury selection process. Once jurors are selected, an individual may also be selected to serve as an alternate juror. This individual would replace the primary juror in the event that the primary juror is unable to complete the trial. The process of jury selection for criminal cases in Massachusetts is important because it ensures that an accused individual is judged by an impartial jury of his or her peers. This guarantees an accused individual of a fair trial, as guaranteed by the United States Constitution.

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What is the process of jury selection for criminal cases?

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