What is a jury selection process?

A jury selection process, or “voir dire”, is the pre-trial investigation used to ensure that a trial jury is impartial. During jury selection, potential jurors are questioned by lawyers, called attorneys, from both sides of the case. The attorneys question jurors to determine if they are able to make an impartial decision based on the facts of the case. The process begins with a panel of potential jurors called a “venire”. This is a large group of potential jurors from the general public. The attorneys then ask questions to the venire to narrow down the potential jurors to a smaller group. Specific questions help the attorneys determine the potential jurors’ attitudes, biases, and experiences relevant to the case. Attorneys may also consider a potential juror’s age, gender, or profession. If a potential juror has a conflict of interest, such as a personal relationship with either party of the case, that juror may be dismissed. Attorneys may also challenge a potential juror for any reason that they believe may hurt their case. The judge must approve all challenges and dismissals. After both attorneys have finished their questioning, the remaining potential jurors are judged to be impartial. They are then selected to sit on the jury for the case. The jury selection process is an important tool that helps ensure that justice is served by making sure that jurors are qualified to decide the case objectively and without any personal bias.

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