A panel of "peers" (often of 12) selected from the citizenry that acts as a "trier of fact" in a court case.
Canonical answers:
Questions tagged [jury]
192 questions
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Why are lawyers typically excluded from juries?
At least in the United States practicing lawyers are called to serve on juries. But my understanding is at least one side will always remove them before trial. Why would it always be the case that at least one side would not want someone with…
feetwet
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Why are common people selected for jury duty?
Why are common people selected to be the jury in the USA? Shouldn't people that know the law to decide criminal's fate? Why pick just some twelve random people to be the jury and decide the outcome of a trial instead of people who have extensive…
Lightsout
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Jurors not allowed to talk to each other during the trial?
Apparently many judges instruct jurors not to discuss the case in progress. What is the rationale for this, other than just yet another tactic to marginalize juries and prevent them from trying cases?
A related issue is asking questions. Obviously…
Cicero
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Are jurors allowed to teach law to one another?
I vaguely recall in the case of Oracle v. Google in regards to Java v. Android that was happening in a district court physically located in San Jose, California, that one of the jurors was familiar with the process and procedure of acquiring…
cnst
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Should I serve jury duty when I have no respect for the judge?
My son was once sentenced to 3 years in prison in a particular case. The individual(s) that took him to court had deep personal connections with law officials in our small county. This seems to have resulted in an unjust outcome as described…
rickster
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Can the insurrection clause be applied without a conviction by jury?
Folks are trying to keep Trump off the ballot because "he engaged in insurrection." Now, let's NOT argue about whether he did or didn't. What I'm interested in is judges saying he did AND applying consequences for doing so when he has neither been…
WGroleau
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In USA, is it possible to end up being called to jury duty even if you have not registered to vote?
My friend received a letter summoning her to jury duty.
She has not received anything like that before, even though she is now in her 40's and has been a U.S. citizen all her life. Also she never registered to vote (due to personal conviction) in…
alec
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What is the purpose of being tried by a "jury of your peers"?
If you are facing criminal charges (in the United States), there is a person in the court (the judge) who is an expert in law, has extensive experience, and is (at least theoretically) impartial. And instead of having that person decide the case, it…
SegNerd
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What is the penalty for a bad-acting juror?
Let's say Bob is part of the jury during a trial. But Bob is a dishonest/bad juror. What penalties could he face, and what party would be prosecuting him?
The particular scenarios I have in mind are:
Bob happily blabs to the media and exposes all…
chausies
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How can Edward Snowden be denied a jury trial?
Is the US right to a trial by jury a conditional right which can be revoked preemptively?
It was my understanding the US Constitution allowed anyone accused of a crime to be judged by a peer jury. However, Edward Snowden would not be allowed to…
steampowered
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Why are jurors still asked to apply the law if their primary role is to find facts?
Why do juries get asked whether the defendant is guilty or not instead of simply whether certain alleged facts took place?
Say Rob is being tried for the murder of Bob, but there's also a possibility of manslaughter.
Within the existing system, the…
Greendrake
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Why don't people who are untruthful during jury selection get held in contempt of court?
This question is U.S. based.
I ask this because recently I was summoned for jury duty. When we were in the courtroom, the judge asked each of the jurors in the box a list of questions. One of them was their command/understanding of the English…
Classified
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Why was Joe Arpaio not given a jury trial?
Joe Arpaio, the former Sheriff of Maricopa County, AZ, was found guilty of criminal contempt of court by U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton on July 31, 2017. Apparently Arpaio requested a trial by jury, but this was denied.
On what legal basis was…
Thomas Steinke
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Is a potential juror protected for what they say during jury selection?
Walter and Bob are potential jurors for the same trial for a white supremacist. Walter happens to believe in white supremacy. Bob happens to be Walter's boss (or even just a potential employer).
During jury selection, they ask Walter about anything…
chausies
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Is there any recourse if a defendant was found guilty due to an unknowingly false claim made by a juror during deliberations swaying jurors?
I know that often a potential juror who is a lawyer, or anyone with direct expertise relevant to a case, will be removed by one side or the other. However, this doesn't always happen, if for example all the peremptory challenges were used up on…
dsollen
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