When you receive a notice in the mail that you're required to serve jury duty, you're one step closer to sitting on a jury — but you still have a long way to go before you're approved to do so. First, you'll go through a lengthy jury selection process, in which both the prosecution and the defense will ask you questions to better assess whether you'll be able to fulfill this role impartially and professionally. You shouldn't be surprised to hear a number of direct questions, including some that you may find to be person. It's advantageous to answer these questions honestly, even if doing so excuses you from sitting on the jury. Here are some questions that can come up during jury selection.
Do You Have A Criminal Record?
If you have a misdemeanor criminal record, it might be something that you keep to yourself — but it's possible that you'll have to acknowledge and discuss it during jury selection. Both legal sides will want to know if you're a convicted criminal because it may impact how you view the case. For example, if you were previously convicted of a misdemeanor, the prosecution may worry that you'll lean toward thinking that the accused in the upcoming case is innocent — perhaps as a way to "get back" at the system.
What Knowledge Do You Have Of The Involved Parties?
You'll certainly be asked if you possess any knowledge of the parties that are involved in the upcoming court case. This is another question that is effective for assessing whether you can be impartial, or whether you might have allegiances to one side. For example, if someone is suing a large corporation, and your spouse works for a division of that corporation, the prosecution might worry that you'd be unable to view the case neutrally because of your connection to one of the involved parties.
How Do You Feel About Lawsuits?
If the court case in question is a lawsuit, you can expect multiple questions about your feelings concerning lawsuits and your experiences with them. For example, if you're someone who has successfully sued different parties, the prosecution could feel as though you're in favor of lawsuits and thus may side with the person who is pursuing the suit. This would, of course, render you unable to view the case impartially, at least in the mind of the prosecution, and would likely lead to you being excused.
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