Jury Selection

Instructions

Jury selection is a very important part of any case that actually goes to trial. As you have read in your textbook, the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to an impartial jury. But the question remains how an impartial jury can be found in this age of the 24-hour news cycle and overwhelming social media use.

For this week’s assignment, review at least two of the more noteworthy incidents in the last three years in which a suspect has been arrested and faced trial. Some of these events have had almost daily news coverage for months.

Your assignment submission should be 2-3 pages in length, follow proper APA format and style, and answer the following questions:

1.  What is an “impartial jury”?

2.  What does the phrase “a jury of your peers” mean? Is it a constitutional right? Why or why not?

3.  What challenges can be used by the prosecution or defense to remove a person from consideration as a juror?

4.  What are some of the U S Supreme Court rulings regarding jury selection?

Here are some sources you might consider using to support your answers:

Benforado, A. (2015, June 16). “Reasonable Doubts About the Jury System.” The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/06/how-bias-shapes-juries/395957/  

Fuchs, E. (2014). “This Is Why Juries Shouldn’t Decide Court Cases.” Business Insider, July 3, http://www.businessinsider.com/america-should-get-rid-of-the-jury-trial-2014-7  

Podlas, K. (2001). “Please Adjust Your Signal: How Television’s Syndicated Courtrooms Bias Our Juror Citizenry.” American Business Law Journal, 39, 1-24.

Shelton, D. E. (2008) “The ‘CSI Effect’: Does it Really Exist?”. https://nij.ojp.gov/topics/articles/csi-effect-does-it-really-exist

Smith, D.G. (1997). “Structural and Functional Aspects of the Jury: Comparative Analysis and Proposals for Reform.” Alabama Law Review, 48, 491.