If you’re facing criminal charges, you have a lot to think about. You need to consider who you are going to call as witnesses and how you are going to minimize the impact of the prosecution’s evidence. But before you even get to that point, there’s another matter that you’ll have to be prepared to address: jury selection.
The importance of choosing a jury
If you are headed for a jury trial, it is important to realize the power that the jurors have. These individuals are tasked with assessing the evidence presented at trial and attributing to it the amount of weight that they deem appropriate.
Sounds simple enough, right? Well, problems can arise when jurors come to court with biases and pre-formed opinions about your case. This can put you at an unfair disadvantage, and one that could lead to your conviction.
Your protections during the jury selection process
Fortunately, you can help ensure that you receive a fair trial by thoroughly assessing each potential juror during the jury selection process. If you can identify biases during the questioning of these potential jurors, you can ask to have those potential jurors removed.
You also have the ability to remove potential jurors from the jury pool without providing a reason. These are called peremptory challenges. You have a limited number of these, though, and you have to be careful to ensure that you are not making them based on discriminatory intent.
Do not face your criminal charges with inadequate counsel
Every aspect of your criminal case is important and could mean the difference between conviction and acquittal. That is why you may want a strong criminal defense attorney on your side as you navigate the intricacies of your case. Firms like ours stand ready to help, so do not hesitate to reach out to learn more about the type of guidance and advocacy you can have on your side in these matters.