NCJ Number
77046
Date Published
1980
Length
381 pages
Annotation
This book, written for lawyers who try jury cases, is intended to be a comprehensive, practical volume on the matter of jury selection in both civil and criminal cases and in both State and Federal jurisdictions.
Abstract
While subjects closely related to jury selection are included, a large part of the text is devoted to the voir dire examination, with particular emphasis on the practical aspects of selecting a jury which will be both impartial and responsive to the evidence produced during trial. The work includes practical examples and suggestions of voir dire examinations in specific types of cases. Peremptory challenges, challenges for cause, and specific grounds for challenges are considered. Also included are negligence cases, civil cases not based on negligence, criminal cases, and new approaches to jury selection. Tactics most useful in eliminating possibly prejudiced and otherwise undesirable jurors are emphasized. It is suggested that selection of a jury in any case depends first on the attorney's complete knowledge and grasp of the facts and law involved. It also depends on a working knowledge of human behavior and the attorney's personality. In conducting the voir dire, the attorney should never embarrass a prospective juror, and should use the jurors' names, avoid the use of legal language, prepare questions before examination begins and explain trial procedures to the prospective jurors. An appendix, a bibliography, an index, and a table of cases are provided. (Author abstract modified)