The prosecution and defense may give their closing speeches and we ask you when you retire after consideration to return verdicts of guilty. They will talk directly to you as they refer to the strengths and weaknesses of their respective cases finally to help you decide your verdict. The judge will tell you what the law requires and summarize the facts of the case if at any point you need further explanation or want to ask a question you can do so by passing a note to the judge.
Again pass a note or simply raise your hand to get the attention. It is very important that if anyone approaches you about the trial or tries to influence you in any way you do not discuss it with any members of your jury and tell the jury officer or assure immediately.
For a juror to disclose to any person any particular statements made opinions, express arguments, advances or votes cast by the members of the jury in the course of their deliberations this means you must not speak to anyone at all about the cases apart from your fellow jurors.
You will also commit a criminal offense if you use the internet to research details about any cases. Along with any of the cases listed for trial at the court please ensure you and fellow jurors observe the rules. If any concerns about this please speak to a member of court staff.
Sometimes the judge may decide to accept a verdict that is not unanimous the judge will tell you when this is appropriate. If you found the defendant guilty, the judge may not pass a sentence on the same day.
If you have any queries during your jury service you can always speak to the jury officer or telephone the court office. If you are summoned again within two years you have the right to refuse or may serve.
After your service you are entitled to claim certain expenses and an allowance towards any loss of earnings or benefits arising from your attendance at court. The jury officer will give you expenses forms and further details. One there can be a lot of waiting around many rules and formalities to follow and lots to take in. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Post Comment. What are the duties of a juror?
Jurors have to decide the facts of the case. Under current public health restrictions , court business has been reduced. You can access the latest announcements on court sittings on the Courts Service website. If you have a question about this topic you can contact the Citizens Information Phone Service on 07 Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm. You can also contact your local Citizens Information Centre. Cookies on citizensinformation. Accept all cookies Manage my preferences.
Cookie preferences. Cookies used by Google Analytics We use Google Analytics to measure how you use the website so we can improve it. We gather information on: How you got to the site The pages you visit on citizensinformation. Save preferences Close. Information The jury fulfils a very important function in the legal system. The verdict At the conclusion of the trial, the jurors are given an issue paper, which states the issues that the jury must consider in reaching its verdict.
Rules Jurors must: Decide the facts of the case only. Remain impartial and independent. Remain uninfluenced by any person. It is an offence for any person who is not a member of the jury to attempt to influence a juror in any way. In order to find individuals who can objectively evaluate the relevant evidence and testimony, the prosecutor, defense attorney, and judge meet with a large group of prospective jurors before the trial starts.
Both attorneys have the ability to request dismissal of jurors if they believe a particular individual is biased, and also to dismiss a certain number, depending on the offense, for no cause. Once the prosecutor and defense can agree on 12 people, the jury panel is set, and the trial can move forward. The use of outside information or evidence to reach a verdict is never permitted. Importantly, jurors are not allowed to discuss any aspect of the case with anyone connected to the case or from the outside, other than other jurors, including the attorneys, witnesses, family members, or friends.
This prohibition is in place to prevent the juror from being influenced by outside information, and the judge has the ability to sequester a jury, usually in high-profile cases, if there is a reasonable fear the jurors could be tainted. Once all the evidence and arguments from both sides are presented, the jury is sent off to debate the merits of the case, and reach a unanimous decision of guilty or not guilty.
The jury is permitted to ask the judge certain questions to assist with deliberations, as long as the attorneys are present, related to:. Once the jury reaches a unanimous decision, or the judge decides further deliberations are unlikely to produce agreement, deliberations end, and the verdict is read or a mistrial is declared.
Trying to face criminal charges without hiring a criminal defense lawyer is risky, and could directly affect both the verdict and imposed sentence. Manshoory Law Group, APC handles both State and federal criminal matters and will fight to get you the best possible outcome. The lawyers fit the different parts of the testimony together and connect up the facts.
It must be remembered that each attorney presents the view of the case that is most favorable to his or her own client. The charge of a judge to a jury in a United States District Court frequently is much more than a statement of the rules of law. Sometimes it may contain a summary of the facts or some of the facts. This is done upon the evidence. The judge may point out and may also explain what basic facts are in dispute, and what facts do not actually matter in the case.
The judge will state the law related to the facts presented to the jury. A court session begins when the court official raps for order. Everyone in the court rises. The judge takes his or her place on the bench, and the court official announces the opening of court. A similar procedure is used when court adjourns. Common courtesy and politeness are safe guides as to the way jurors should act. Of course, no juror will be permitted to read a newspaper or magazine in the courtroom.
Nor should a juror carry on a conversation with another juror in the courtroom during the trial. Jurors will be treated with consideration. Their comfort and convenience will be served whenever possible. They should bring to the attention of the judge any matter affecting their service and should notify the court of any emergencies. In the event of a personal emergency a juror may send word to the judge through any court personnel, or may ask to see the judge privately. Jurors should give close attention to the testimony.
They must render a verdict according to their best judgment. Each juror should keep an open mind. Human experience shows that, once persons come to a preliminary conclusion as to a set of facts, they hesitate to change their views. Therefore, it is wise for jurors not to even attempt to make up their mind on the facts of a case until all the evidence has been presented to them, and they have been instructed on the law applicable to the case. Similarly, jurors should not discuss the case even among themselves until it is finally concluded.
During the trial the jury may hear references to the rules of evidence. Some of these rules may appear strange to a person who is not a lawyer. However, each rule has a purpose. The rules have evolved from hundreds of years of experience in the trial of cases. The mere fact that a lawsuit was begun is not evidence in a case.
The opening and closing statements of the lawyers are not evidence. A juror should disregard any statements made by a lawyer in argument that have not been proved by the evidence. Jurors are expected to use all the experience, common sense and common knowledge they possess. But they are not to rely on any private source of information. Thus they should be careful, during the trial, not to discuss the case at home or elsewhere.
Information that a juror gets from a private source may be only half true, or biased or inaccurate. It may be irrelevant to the case at hand.
At any rate, it is only fair that the parties have a chance to know and comment upon all the facts that matter in the case. If it develops during the trial that a juror learns elsewhere of some fact about the case, he or she should inform the court. The juror should not mention any such matter in the jury room. Individual jurors should never inspect the scene of an accident or of any event in the case.
If an inspection is necessary, the judge will have the jurors go as a group to the scene. Jurors must not talk about the case with others not on the jury, even their spouses or families and must not read about the case in the newspapers.
They should avoid radio and television broadcasts that might mention the case. Breaking these rules is likely to confuse a juror. Jurors should not loiter in the corridors or vestibules of the courthouse. Embarrassing contacts may occur there with persons interested in the case. If juror identification badges are provided, they should be worn in the courthouse at all times.
If any outsider attempts to talk with a juror about a case in which he or she is sitting, the juror should do the following:. Jurors have the duty to report to the judge any improper behavior by any juror. They also have the duty to inform the judge of any outside communication or improper conduct directed at the jury by any person.
Jurors on a case should refrain from talking on any subject--even if it is not related to the matter being tried--with any lawyer, witness, or party in the case. Such contact may make a new trial necessary.
0コメント