Judicial Survey Questions

IT Q57: Please describe your jury selection process.

IT A57: Counsel will receive a list of the jurors’ names and the jurors will file into the courtroom and sit in the order that their names appear on the list. The court will then ask voir dire questions and jurors will raise their hands if their answer is “yes” to the question. The court will record which jurors raised their hands for each question. The court will call the jurors who raised their hands to side bar and ask follow up questions after all questions are asked. Counsel can propose questions for approval at that time. The court will then decide whether to excuse for cause. After the court excuses for cause, the parties may exercise their preemptory challenges by writing them on pieces of paper and handing them to the clerk. Each side has three preemptory challenges.

Related Topics:
* Talwani, Indira

United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts