Have you ever been summonsed to be on a jury?
This topic comes up from time to time here at Voat, so I’m guessing it is something that interests us. If not, piss off and stop reading this. Since I work in the legal field, I occasionally get to deal with juries and jury trials. I thought Voaters might like to know what is happening on the flip side. Not sure if I need to qualify this, but my experiences are all in the US legal system and with American juries.
Obviously, the jury systems vary from state to state, but the basics involve a County Court Clerk assembling a list of potential jurors for the trial term. How this list is prepared is based on the laws of the particular state and county, but most pull names from voter and driver license rolls, which they are required to keep updated. There is a prescribed random selection process and usually a limit on how many times you can get selected per term/session/year. Most Clerks will run software that does all of this for them, and will return a list of potential jurors for that term.
The Clerk then sends out a summons to each potential juror by mail. This is where it gets a little creepy. The parties on a case that is set to go to jury trial are allowed access to this potential juror list. Both Plaintiff/Prosecutors and the Defense get to see every single person that was called and may serve on their case’s jury.
Some Clerks only provide a list of names to the attorneys. Others, however, will provide names, addresses, and ages. If the case is worth it, and the Plaintiff/Prosecutors/Defense is savvy enough, they will task their trial team to begin investigating the background of every single person on that list. They will want to know all about you and whether you will be a useful juror to them or not. Say the case is about a wrongful foreclosure. You better believe they are going to investigate if you own a home or have ever filed for bankruptcy. Say the case is about a DUI-caused death. You better believe they are going to check to see if you have ever been charged or convicted of a DUI. I think you get the idea. Any information that is about you that is posted online anywhere can, and most likely will, be found. The trial teams are building a profile of you. They will know all about you even before you step foot in the Courthouse.
When it is finally your day to appear for your jury summons, you will likely be herded into a room with all of the other potential jurors. In small counties, this can be end up like a high school reunion or church luncheon – you’ll know most people there. Once settled in, you will fill out a little questionnaire about yourself, if you weren’t asked to do it before you came in. Then, in all likelihood, you will sit around and wait and wait and wait while the trial teams get ready to begin voir dire.
Eventually voir dire begins and this is about the most fun you are going to have during the jury selection process. Voir dire is the legal term for questioning a potential jury to assist in the selection process. This is where the Plaintiff/Prosecutors/Defense will ask you things they likely already know the answer to – such as, do you own a home or have you ever been convicted of a DUI? They are assessing your ability to be honest with them, so don’t bother lying. Yes, lying will get you booted from the jury but it may also prompt a surly judge to charge you with contempt. Don’t risk that.
They will also ask you about your ability to serve on a jury and remain impartial despite any life experiences that may sway you. This is where honesty counts. Think that guns don’t need to be registered? Tell them that. Don’t think white cops can fairly deal with black youth? Tell them that. Think big banks are evil and foreclosure should be illegal? Tell them that. Think DUI is as bad as murder? Tell them that. This is one of the few arenas left in America where you can frankly share your biases and the only consequence will be whether or not you are selected for a jury.
After this is all done, you may be allowed to ask them questions, but it really depends on the judge. Next comes more waiting and eventually you will be culled from the group and chosen as a juror or dismissed. All that is left after that is actual jury service, which is s topic for another day.
I hope this was helpful and/or informative, or at the very least, I hope I helped you kill some time this afternoon while you read this.
