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• Voir Dire

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Voir Dire legal definition: Voir dire is the process by which prospective jurors are questioned by attorneys and/or a judge in court. The purpose of voir dire is to determine:

• If the prospective juror has any biases that could impact their decision in a court case

• If the prospective juror would be able to deal with the issues related to the trial fairly

There are several reasons why a juror would be found unfit to serve include:

• Situations where a juror has an existing relationship or familiarity with any of the parties involved in the suit or any of their attorneys

• When a juror strongly supports or is opposed to the death penalty

• Situations in which the juror had a similar experience (i.e.: if they were sued for a similar claim or charged in a similar criminal case

While a judge may dismiss a juror for cause, attorneys for both sides are permitted a limited number of peremptory challenges. This allows them to dismiss a juror without stating why.

Sources:

https://dictionary.law.com/Default.aspx?selected=2229 

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