What To Expect From Jury Duty - 2

By Author: Bob Schuster
Total Articles: 3
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From Rome to Britain to America

Defense attorneys are present in the courtroom when the jury pool arrives, and defendants may or may not be depending upon a number of legal circumstances. In criminal trials, the plaintiff is a prosecutor for the state or county in which the crime was committed, with the case being filed by the district attorney's office in most jurisdictions. The judge will brief those present in court, including any spectators or media in the gallery, about the case and then the jury selection begins.

Voir dire (vwahr deer) is a phrase in law that derives from an Anglo-Norman corruption of the Latin phrase verum dicere (to tell the truth). It refers to the process whereby attorneys for both sides, the plaintiff/prosecution and the defense, ask questions of potential jurors to determine their suitability for open-minded, even-handed deliberations. As each name is called, attorneys from both sides will ask the individuals certain questions about themselves and their beliefs, as well as things pertaining to the case. This is the only way to determine if that person will be a suitable choice for the ...
... final jury that is impaneled to hear the case.

Civic duty can cost you

If you are chosen as a juror, your service is required as a prospective juror for a minimum of one day. In most every jurisdiction the court will tell you to be prepared to remain the entire day. You will typically be advised that, if sworn in as a juror, your jury service will continue until the trial is complete, with the average trial nationwide taking from three days to one week. However, you cannot know in advance how long your service will be. This can present some problems for working people, students and parents of small children.

Some employers will reimburse employees for jury duty time, while others will not. The per diem (daily payment) from courts ranges from zero in some states to $15 in California, commencing on the second day of the trial (the first one is always free, as the old saying goes). You will no longer be excused for financial hardship in most states, so get a babysitter for the kids, use up your vacation time and figure out a way to make up for the loss of pay. The fact is, juries are one of a free nation's best bulwarks against tyranny in government, and everyone should be willing to serve when called.

Robert P. Schuster, P.C., has achieved its reputation as a law firm by winning big cases---in jury trials and in settlements. He has a national reputation for success in representing his clients in cases including intellectual property http://www.bobschuster.com/ , business torts, brain injury http://www.bobschuster.com/bif/structures/ and commercial litigation