jurors
Courtroom verdict makers
Jurors are members of a jury—citizens selected to hear evidence and render a verdict in legal proceedings.
In criminal trials, jurors determine guilt or innocence; in civil cases, they decide liability and damages.
The selection process screens for bias: Both attorneys questioned potential jurors about their views on the death penalty.
Summoned potential jurors
- voir direPretrial juror examination
- summonsFormal court notification
- screeningEvaluative selection process
- qualificationRequired skill or condition
exemption · challenge · peremptory · strike · sequester · impanelment · array · random selection
Judicial proceedings chamber
- evidenceFacts supporting truth
- testimonySworn statement as evidence
- witnessOne who attests
- judgeOne who decides
prosecution · defense · exhibits · instructions · sequestration · bailiff · gallery · bench
Required moral task
- serviceAid or maintenance
- citizenshipStatus as state member
- responsibilityState of being answerable
- peersThose of equal status
community · democracy · participation · civic duty · summons · obligation · public service
Responsible for wrongdoing
- not guiltyCleared of charges
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
- unanimousComplete agreement among all
hung · deadlocked · findings · foreman · polling · nullification · reasonable doubt · deliberate
Free from prejudice
- objectivePurpose or goal
- neutralNot favoring any side
- fairImpartial and unbiased
- impartialShowing no preference
disinterested · open-minded · unprejudiced · even-handed · dispassionate · sequestered · untainted · independent
venire
Summoned potential jurors
- voir direPretrial juror examination
- summonsFormal court notification
- screeningEvaluative selection process
qualification · exemption · challenge · peremptory · strike · sequester · impanelment · array · random selection · prospective
courtroom
Judicial proceedings chamber
judge · prosecution · defense · exhibits · instructions · sequestration · bailiff · gallery · bench · sidebar
duty
Required moral task
- serviceAid or maintenance
- citizenshipStatus as state member
- responsibilityState of being answerable
peers · community · democracy · participation · civic duty · summons · obligation · public service
guilty
Responsible for wrongdoing
- not guiltyCleared of charges
- acquittalFormal clearing of charges
- convictionFirmly held belief
unanimous · hung · deadlocked · findings · foreman · polling · nullification · reasonable doubt · deliberate · announce
unbiased
Free from prejudice
impartial · disinterested · open-minded · unprejudiced · even-handed · dispassionate · sequestered · untainted · independent · detached
deliberate
Consciously chosen, not accidental
evaluate · debate · discuss · confer · reason · analyze · assess · review · scrutinize · consensus
- legal systemattorney, landmark cases, criminal cases, lawyers, legal precedents
- adjudicatorsarbiter, arbiters, arbitrator, arbitrators, referee
- Athenian citizensmale citizens, voters, assembly members, council members, archons
- jury trialvoir dire, venire, empanelment, impanelment, impaneling
- Dozensdozen, twelfth, twelfths, twelvefold, duodecimal
- Roman LawRoman law, Corpus Juris Civilis, Justinian Code, Twelve Tables, Digest
jurorslegal professionals
Licensed law practitioners
magistrates · justices · legal experts · officers of the court
- grand jurorsBody that indicts
- alternate jurorBackup trial decider
- twelve jurorsFull criminal trial panel
- juror selectionChoosing courtroom decision-makers
- juror biasPrejudice in deliberators