What makes a bad juror?

Asked by: Gardner Brekke  |  Last update: February 23, 2025
Score: 4.9/5 (73 votes)

It is important to distinguish an ineligible juror from one who simply cannot be impartial due to a life experience, a strong religious belief, a loyalty to law enforcement due to a family member or friend being in law enforcement or some other factor that prevents that juror from hearing all the evidence before making ...

What makes a good or bad juror?

They must have both integrity and good judgment. The continued vitality of the jury system depends on these attributes. To meet their responsibility, jurors must decide the facts and apply the law impartially.

What professions make bad jurors?

Careers that involve law enforcement or the legal profession are most likely to be dismissed from jury duty. Judges, lawyers, police officers, and other public officials are usually not allowed to serve on juries.

What makes you a biased juror?

Jurors who identify with a particular group, whether consciously or subconsciously, may exhibit bias towards or against certain defendants. These biases can result in different verdicts even when presented with the same evidence.

What is a weakness of a juror?

"Jurors are particularly likely to make sub-optimal decisions when they are considering cases involving a part of society that they are not familiar with (e.g., people from a different socio-economic group), and where evidence is ambiguous or difficult to understand."

The big problem with how we pick juries

23 related questions found

What are two things jurors should never do?

Don't lose your temper, try to bully, or refuse to listen to the opinions of other jurors. Don't mark or write on exhibits or otherwise change or injure them. Don't try to guess what might happen if the case you have heard is appealed.

What are 3 qualities of jurors?

The judge determines the law to be applied in the case while the jury decides the facts. Thus, in a very important way, jurors become a part of the court itself. Jurors must be men and women possessed of sound judgment, absolute honesty, and a complete sense of fairness.

Can I get out of jury duty by saying I'm biased?

You can get excused for bias during a process called voir dire but that isn't as straightforward as saying “I'm biased” or “I think the defendant looks guilty.” If you think something that simple can get you out of jury duty in front of a judge and lawyers who have seen these tricks for many, many years, you are ...

How often is a jury wrong?

From the observed agreement rates, the probability of a correct verdict by the jury is estimated at 87% for the NCSC cases and 89% for the Kalven-Zeisel cases.

What is juror 3 bias?

Juror #3 is very biased towards the accused teenager, and that is because his own son had once hit him on the jaw and had run away from home at the age of 15. He says, "I've got a kid... when he was fifteen, he hit me in the face... I haven't seen him in three years.

Who is most likely to get dismissed from jury duty?

5 Reasons People Are Excused From Jury Duty
  • Economic Hardship. One of the more common reasons people are excused from jury duty is because serving on the jury presents that person with an economic hardship. ...
  • Personal Opinions. ...
  • Felony Conviction. ...
  • Family Issues. ...
  • Physical/Mental Disabilities.

What are 4 responsibilities of jurors?

Jury service is a civic duty. A jury decides the facts of a case in accordance with principles of the law as explained by a judge. Jurors listen to testimony, review evidence, and render decisions in civil and criminal trials.

Why don't people like jury duty?

Jury duty isn't lucrative. At 48.2%, financial inconvenience was the primary reason people avoided serving. Our findings also found other valid reasons: 19.3% feared consequences from their employer, 15.7% didn't have access to child care for the duration of the trial, and 2.4% had religious responsibilities.

How to not get picked as a juror?

Generally, the best way to avoid being picked is to express strong opinions during questioning.
  1. Show potential bias.
  2. Express disinterest.
  3. Imply distrust of police.
  4. Question the legal system or the jury process.
  5. Cite medical or financial hardship.
  6. Detail travel plans (bring confirmation documents)

Should I be nervous about jury duty?

Jury duty is a civic responsibility and performing your duty should not make you nervous. The National Center for State Courts is an independent research organization that focuses on the state judiciary, and they have estimated that out of the entire population, only about 15% are actually summoned for jury duty.

What professions don't get picked for jury duty?

Three groups are exempt from federal jury service:
  • members of the armed forces and national guard when on active duty;
  • members of non-federal professional (as opposed to volunteer) fire and police departments; and.

What happens if one juror disagrees?

If even one member of the jury panel disagrees with the rest, the jury is hung, and the defendant retains the presumption of innocence.

How many excuses do you get for jury duty?

You can only be excused from jury duty for:

Any reason deemed sufficient by the court. Medical reasons. Undue hardship. Dependent care.

What are some examples of bias in jurors?

For instance, jurors in a negative pre-trial publicity condition (in regards to the defendant), in comparison to control participants, had a preference towards the prosecution (making the guilty verdict their leading verdict). This preference caused them to distort the evidence to support the prosecution.

What is the best excuse to miss jury duty?

A prospective juror may be excused if he/she:
  • Has a physical or mental disability that would prevent him/her from serving. ...
  • Must provide actual and necessary care for another and alternate arrangements are not feasible. ...
  • Is unable to read or understand the English language.
  • Over 75 years of age.

How do jurors stay unbiased?

The judge and the attorneys ask jurors questions to determine if the jurors are free of bias (prejudice) or whether there is any other reason why they cannot be fair and impartial; this process is called voir dire.

What happens if a juror lies during voir-dire?

During voir dire, a judge (sometimes the parties as well) asks potential jurors questions in order to screen them for bias be- fore picking a jury. Even after a jury trial, a judge may order a new trial if a party proves a juror lied during voir dire and hid something that would have kept him or her off the jury.

How to pick a good juror?

Criteria for Selecting Jurors

Attorneys ask questions regarding jurors: Experiences – Events in the jurors' lives that could impact their perspective on the case, such as similar or tangential circumstances to victims, defendants, and other key parties.

What are the 3 cons of a jury?

Pros and cons of trial by jury
  • Pro: ensures representation.
  • Con: jurors can be biased.
  • Pro: boosts public confidence.
  • Con: hung verdicts.
  • Pro: checks on power.
  • Con: expensive and time consuming.

What are juror 10 traits?

Juror #10: An angry, bitter man who antagonizes almost at sight, Juror #10 is also a bigot who places no values on any human life except his own. He is a man who has been nowhere and is going nowhere, and he knows it deep within him.