THE IMPORTANCE OF QUESTIONING THE JURY PANEL

Tampa Criminal Defense Attorney: In a jury trial a group of about 40 or more are brought into the courtroom to form the “jury panel.” The attorneys will inquire of the panel to choose whether or not specific persons from the panel are a good fit for the instant case. This is called the “Voir Dire” process. The defense attorney and the prosecutor ask (or submit to the judge) questions to be asked of the panel. Each side is seeking to find jurors who will be more likely to see their side of the story or to take people off the panel who would be likely to find against them. General questions are asked in which panel members will raise their hand to signify an answer. After that, people who answered certain questions in a certain way may inquired of individually and in more detail by each attorney (and the judge sometimes.)

CHOOSING THE TWELVE JURORS:

Once the attorneys have all the information the final selection process will begin. Unless it is obvious that an attorney is striking members of the panel for racial reasons that attorney can strike a juror for any reason he/she wants. Once this is finished, the judge’s clerk will read the first members of the jury panel selected to sit as jurors. Depending on the type of case, the number of persons selected will vary. For example, in a murder case, 12 main jurors will be chosen plus two alternates. The alternates hear all the evidence so that they are able to step into the shoes of an excused juror at any point in the case.  However, once the jury is given the case to deliberate during the guilt or innocence phase, the alternates are dismissed.