A jury pool is a group of citizens from a particular jurisdiction who are eligible to serve on a jury. Potential jurors are randomly selected and sent questionnaires and subpoenas. During the jury selection process, prospective jurors are interviewed to determine impartiality. Lawyers can challenge potential jurors, and excess jurors may be fired.
A jury pool is a group of people that a legal system can draw from to fill a jury. In most places, a jury pool is made up of citizens of a particular jurisdiction who are considered legal adults. Typically, people who have been convicted of committing serious crimes are excluded from a jurisdiction’s jury pool. For example, people who have committed crimes usually cannot serve on juries. Essentially, a judging pool is a population of people eligible to serve on the judging panel.
In many places, prospective jurors are chosen through random selection methods. A jurisdiction may obtain names from a list of registered voters or from lists of people holding driver’s licenses. Sometimes lists of contributors are used to add to the jury pool. The sources used by a legal system for names can vary depending on the country and region where the jury is needed.
Once potential jurors are randomly selected, the jury selection process is not finished. Usually, the court sends questionnaires and subpoenas to prospective jurors’ homes via the mail system. Questionnaires often ask prospective jurors if there are compelling reasons why they can’t serve on a jury or deliver a fair verdict. Those who are legally eligible to serve on a jury must appear in court when summoned. In some cases, jurors may be excused, but unless there is an official justification or postponement, the appearance of every prospective juror is mandatory.
When prospective jurors are selected from a jury pool and appear in court, they usually go through a process called voir dire. During this process, prospective jurors are interviewed. Often, a judge will ask them questions designed to determine which potential jurors will be impartial and which perspectives might obstruct justice. In some cases, a judge may also allow attorneys to question prospective jurors. Those who are apparently unable to help deliver a fair verdict are usually fired.
Lawyers are often allowed to challenge potential juror selections. For example, if a juror is having an affair with a person or company involved in a case, an attorney can challenge the prospective juror, and a judge will decide whether or not the juror should be excused. Additionally, jurors may be challenged for no stated reason. This is called a peremptory challenge, and both sides of a lawsuit can be allowed a set number of these challenges.
It’s worth noting that some people may be summoned from a jury pool but don’t get very far in the jury selection process. A court sometimes summons people far in excess of the number of jurors it actually needs. It can fire excess jurors before they appear in court or before they go through the juror interview process.
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