How do lawyers choose jurors?
342236
Attorneys choose jurors by using a system known as voir dire. This is where each side of a case has the opportunity to ask questions of the jurors to determine who would not be suited to serve on this case due to underlying biases.  This is where the differences between federal and state court arise.  In federal court, the judge is the one who generally conducts voir dire. the attorneys submit questions to the judge who will ask the questions to the jurors.  In state court, generally each attorney is permitted to ask questions to the jurors in an alloted time period. At the end of voir dire, the attorneys are permitted to use for cause challenges to get rid of the jurors from the jury pool who would be tainted from delivering a verdict. This means for example if it is a murder case, juror fourteen's sister was murdered.  This juror would be struck for cause because it would be hard for this juror to think about this murder case differently than they would think about their own sister's murder case.    Then each side has an opportunity to exercise their preemptory challenges to get rid of a juror.  This is where Batson challenges can arise.  It is pretty complicated going into the ins and outs of jury selection but this is a bare bones summary.
398394
In a democracy, a trial by jury is important in that the accused must be found innocent or guilty of the charge by twelve people like himself/herself - rather than one judge. It's intent is to provide a greater justice for the accused.   Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn"t--but that is its intent..  In civil court (such as lawsuits in car accidents, etc) sometimes there are fewer than 12 jurors.
3728
No one but a juror may be in the jury deliberation room. This is why it is so important that the judge determine what evidence is admissible before the trial begins. If a juror believes other jurors are considering irrelevant evidence, the juror should inform the judge, who would instruct them of their consitutional responsibility and so forth. If a judge believes a jury did not consider the evidence properly, he/she can vacate the verdict, which is very rarely done, for obvious reasons.
154957
I was chosen to be an "Arbitron" listener once, so I think I know. Arbitron selects people at random (I've been told it's very few per week) and they send those people a little diary. You fill it out, telling them what you listened to and when during your week, then you send it back. They use those diaries to figure out what people, in general, are listening to. They actually don't know what you, specifically, listen to at all unless they choose you. Again, it is random, so there's no way to apply for it or anything, you just have to get lucky.
167036
The jurors are picked for their integrity and honesty and the judge has to deliver that message to them and he has to trust them to do as they are told.  I would find it hard not to talk to my husband abou a case.  We talk about everything.
738282
It often boils down to who has the most knowledgeable and convincing representative - the prosecution or the defense lawyer. \n\nA really good defense lawyer can really muddle the facts to give the jury plenty of reasonable doubt.\n\nOn the other hand, a really good prosecutor can make insignificant details add up to the proverbial smoking gun.\n\nAnd then there's all the prejudices and extra baggage the jurors themselves bring to the table even before the opening statements are made.
797668
in some states a jury can have less than twelve members\nmany people are simply happy enough to collaborate with the authorities to feel important that they will sit on juries and help convict people on very questionable evidence\nit happens all the time
324818
I don't know the answer to your question but this article might help you:\n\nhttp://www.law.stanford.edu/library/wlhbp/articles/juror.htm
810295
I think they typically use voters registration rolls as their pool for jury duty. Some states use voters registration cards as well as drivers license. The optimum system to generate a jury pool would be a totally non-bias system, which neither of these provide, but it is the best we have.\nHope this helps.\n\nI did a little research on Louisiana and I found that in at least two parishes (sp?) The names of all licensed drivers and registered voters of St. Martin Parish are placed into the Clerk of Court computer once a year.  The computer first eliminates duplicate names, and then uses random selection to select the names of people who will receive a subpoena for jury duty.
715519
Basically, the goal is to find a way to ask questions that will uncover those people who are likely to be on your side (either side). \n\nSome of these questions are designed to find potential jurors who would be biased against your case, or good for the other side, so that you can get them dismissed from the jury. Those are the most common, and they don't have to be too subtle.\n\nThe other type of questions are those which will reveal the jurors likely to believe your argument, but you need to do it in a way that doesn't reveal your strategy to the other side. This requires a lot of subtlety. It's usually just easier to accept anyone on the jury that you can't exclude.\n\nAs far as any particular situation, look for reasons of potential bias or prejudice. So, let's take a mugging case with three teenagers (first time offenders during spring break) as the defendants. \n\nThe defense might ask questions about who has ever been mugged, or felt threatened walking home at night, or was picked on during high school. These would indicate people likely to convict because they are afraid of being mugged themself. \n\nThe prosecution might ask questions about tolerance, mercy, people who have lived a little on the wild side themselves, people who are bullies, etc. This would indicate people likely to acquit because they either identify with the defendants, or because they believe everyone deserves a second chance.\n\nThe specific questions vary based on the fact pattern. But the goal is always to find out who among the jury pool would be bad for your case, for whatever reason, and get them dismissed.
736983
Lawyers & Politicians ?
1133439
State and federal statutory laws or rules of procedure.\n\nIn a criminal case, federal law and most states' laws provide for a 12-member jury.  The Supreme Court, however, has held that a state could provide that you can be convicted by a vote of 9 out of 12 jurors; this is not unconstitutional.  (Johnson v. Louisiana (1972) 406 U.S. 356, 359 [92 S.Ct. 1620, 32 L.Ed.2d 152].)  It has also held that a state could provide that you can be convicted by a vote of 6 out of 6 jurors.  (Williams v. Florida (1970) 399 U.S. 78 [90 S.Ct. 1893, 26 L.Ed.2d 446].)\n\nIt follows that a jury as small as six must be okay in a civil case.  Accordingly, in a federal civil case, you may have as few as six jurors.  Some states have likewise set a minimum somewhere below 12, or have allowed nonunanimous verdicts (e.g., in California, you get 12 jurors, but you can win by a 9-to-3 vote).
868610
There are quite a few methods for selecting judges.  Partisan election, non-partisan election, election by legislature, appointment by governor, and what is usually called the Missouri Plan.\n\nSee the Wikipedia article below.  It gives info on selection methods for judges of all State Supreme Courts.  Note that selection of trial judges is often different from selection of appeals court judges.\n\nBut, to answer your question: 8 states have partisan elections, 15 states have non-partisan elections, and 5 states have their legislatures elect judges.
485656
Some do, some don't.  Judges are in most states elected or at least selected by elected officals, so they are on the bench due to the majority support of their stance, be it "by the book" or "alternative" punishments.  It all depends on who you draw.  All you can do is try to highlight a mistake and show remorse that you will never do it again, learned your lesson, will go save orphans from a burning building and commit 27 other selfless acts, etc.
585754
When you truly feel the way you voted was fair, and within the Law. Most people don't realize that as a juror you really do have to go by the Laws and Penal Codes that are already set as to what the judgment might turn out to be. When a person is sentenced, it has to be "beyond a reasonable doubt", hands down, and I don't think that happens all the time.....
381280
Yes, definitely.  No where in the constitution is there a guarantee of a trial by a "jury of one's peers" as is widely believed.  The sixth amendment ensures only "the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed...".  \n\nThere is evidence in the writings of the founding fathers that the concept of a "jury of one's peers" means exactly that; a jury should be made up of people from the community of the accused who are familiar with the accused and have some knowledge of the accused's nature and character.\n\nI don't think that's a great idea for the world we live in today and that is why I am in favor of professional jurors who have a broad educational background in addition to specific training in the application of law.
1032287
I've never tried. Been summoned for jury duty 3 times, and happily did my DUTY each time. My wife got called once, but she was 9 months pregnant at the time and they let her out of it (her first day of duty would have been her due date).