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- Jury Duty Handbook
Jury Duty Handbook
You have been called to serve as a juror. Nothing a citizen can be asked to do is more important. You will help to decide what happens to the liberty or property of other people. You will want to do your best to assure that the jury on which you sit returns a fair and impartial verdict.
The purpose of a trial is to do justice, by deciding a dispute between parties fairly and impartially. The value to the community of your service as a juror in that effort cannot be overstated. You can go home when your period of duty is over with a sense of an important job well done.
If you have never been a juror before, you may have questions about what happens in the courtroom and about your role as a juror. Read this handbook carefully and contact us if you have any questions.
Table of Contents
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Trial
A trial is an orderly method for determining the facts of a dispute, applying the law to those facts, and deciding the case.
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Your Role as a Juror
You've heard the term "jury of one's peers." In our country the job of determining the facts and reaching a just decision rests, not with "the government" or any other "higher authority," but with a jury, which is a small cross-section of the people in the community - fellow-citizens of the parties to the lawsuit.
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Civil & Criminal Cases
You know that some lawsuits are civil matters, and some are criminal matters. In a civil case the court is asked to decide a dispute between private individuals or groups. In a criminal case, the court must determine whether someone has committed a crime.
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Jury Selection
You and the others on the jury panel were selected at random to be called for jury duty. The first step in a trial is to select from among you the number needed to try the case - between six and fourteen - depending on the type of case.
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Conduct of the Trial
Civil and criminal trials are conducted in much the same way.
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Witnesses
Parties to a lawsuit are entitled to call witnesses to testify. Witnesses are sworn to tell the truth.
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Order of Presentation
When the plaintiff's attorney (in a civil case) or the prosecuting attorney (in a criminal case) has finished presenting evidence, that side will rest.
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Arguments
After both sides have presented all their evidence, each attorney delivers a closing argument, summarizing his/her side's case and the reasons why the jury should decide in their favor.
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Jury Instructions
After the closing arguments the judge will give Jury Instructions,which are statements of the rules of law which apply in the case you have just heard.
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Jury Deliberations
After hearing the jury instructions, the jury moves to the jury room to consider the case and reach its verdict.
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The Verdict
The foreperson will report to the judge when the jury has arrived at a verdict, which will then be read in open court.
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During the Trial
There are some common-sense rules jurors must follow to assure fairness to all parties. The judge will review them with you before testimony begins.