Picking a Jury

When it comes to picking a jury, there are many things to consider. There is one factor that is going to help you pick the best jury for your case: experience.

In Massachusetts, there is no “individual voir dire” of potential jurors meaning that the lawyers in the case are not allowed to ask jurors questions directly. The judge will ask potential jurors some general questions and the lawyers can submit questions that they would like the judge to ask jurors but a judge has broad discretion as to whether or not they will ask those proposed questions.

For the most part, the only information that a lawyer will have about the jurors in their case are contained in a one-page questionnaire that contains some basic information about each juror.

Selecting a jury for your case can be fast-paced and complicated. A case can, and often is, won or lost when the jury is chosen. Some jurors will have the tendency to always believe a police officer. Some will never believe one. Is it good or bad if a juror doesn’t want to be there? What can you tell from their occupation? There are countless decisions that need to be made in a split second when a jury is being chosen. There is no substitute for experience when picking a jury.