When asked to describe courtrooms, many people answer with the same response: it comprises of a judge, the defendant, the plaintiff, lawyers and of course, the juries. Although they may not be of great importance to some, the members of the jury actually play a large part in the courtroom.
To be a juror, a person does not need special skills or legal knowledge. Twelve people are selected to hear a criminal case. A civil case may require fewer or even no jurors. Jurors must be from the same community where the crime or injury occurred and the jury pool must reflect the makeup of the larger community. .
The jury must be present, especially to hear and see evidence, and it also must be impartial "not to be biased. To ensure this, the lawyers for both sides of a case have the opportunity to remove any jurors who appear to them to be subjective. The attorneys have a process called voir dire, in which they may ask the juror about the juror's personal thoughts and experiences. The information allows the attorneys to determine if the juror has any bias or prior opinion on this particular case or toward the individuals involved. .
The judge in charge of the trial and the court staff will give the help the jurors on what to consider while hearing a case. The judge will tell the juror about the claims or charges being made before the actual trial begins. .
When the trial first starts, the jurors hear the attorneys make opening statements. The attorneys then present evidence, such as exhibits, documents, or material objects, for the juror to consider. Witnesses may come forward to give their firsthand account of something they've seen, heard, or experienced. After all the evidence is presented, attorneys will give closing statements. .
Once the case is heard, the judge instructs the jury on how to make a decision based on the evidence and explains the law and the degree of proof needed to make a decision.
