A criminal trial usually begins with the process of jury selection. Victims right lawyers can explain what happens during this phase as well as the lawyer’s role.
Victims Right Lawyers Define Voir Dire
The first phase of jury selection is called voir dire. As your victims rights attorneys can explain, during this phase, the lawyers for the prosecution and defense have an opportunity to question the potential pool of jurors. They will ask questions about jury members’ backgrounds and potential prejudices or biases that might make it difficult to decide the case fairly. Since the lawyers will have a chance to request exclusion of certain individuals from the jury, you’ll typically see forty, fifty or possibly more potential jurors in the pool. Only twelve jurors will actually be selected to deliberate on the case out of that larger group. Victims right attorneys will challenge biased jurors.
Victims Right Attorneys Explain How Individuals May Be Excluded From Serving on the Jury
As your victims right lawyers can discuss, the lawyers arguing the case for both sides will have a chance to question jurors. If any potential juror says something that reveals a bias, one of the lawyers may object to letting them serve. This is called a challenge for cause. Victims right lawyers have an unlimited number of challenges for cause. In other word, they can ask the judge to remove the individual any time they believe they’ve established cause for a bias. It could be something like an admission by the juror that he or she knows the defendant personally. Often, law enforcement jurors are successfully challenged for cause. Also, victims rights lawyers have what’s known as peremptory challenges. These are challenges to a juror without requiring a reason; think of it as a freebie. In most jurisdictions, lawyers will have only two or three peremptory challenges they can use.
Victims right lawyers have the knowledge and experience you need to walk you through every stage of the litigation process. Call Michael L. Fell to set up a consultation at (949) 585-9055.
