VOIRDIRE
Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am Judge Williams. We are going to
select ajiuy in a criminal case called .
I am going to ask you a series of questions to help the Court and the
attorneys in the jury selection process. Before I ask any questions,I am going to
ask the Deputy Clerk to swear the jury panel to answer any questions truthfully.
(To Deputy,Please swear the panel).
If any of you answer "yes" to any ofthe questions that I ask, please raise
your hand, and, when recognized by me,please stand, state your name and your
jury number. At the end ofthe questions, the Deputy Clerk will ask some of you to
take seats in the jury box, and, after that, the lawyers and I may ask those of you
who answered "yes" to one or more questions to come up to the bench to discuss
your answers with the lawyers and me.
The presentation ofevidence in this case is expected to take days, but
jury deliberations could extend your service beyond that. The schedule that I
expect to keep over the days of evidence presentation will include a morning break
of fifteen minutes, a lunch break of an hour, and an afternoon break of fifteen
minutes. We will start at 9:30 a.m. and finish no later than 5:30 p.m. each day.
1. Does the schedule that I have just mentioned present a special problem to
any of you?
2.(Description ofthe case). This is a criminal case involving charges of
.The jury in this case will be asked to decide whether the defendant is
guilty beyond a reasonable doubt ofthe charges against him/her.
2A. Have any of you heard or read anything about this case?
2B. Is there anything about the nature ofthe charges that would prevent you
from being a fair and impartial juror?
3. The lawyers and law firms involved in this case are:(typed list to be
supplied by the parties). Do any of you or your immediate families, such as spouse,
child, parent, or sibling, know any ofthe attorneys or law firms I have just named?
4. Have any of you or your immediate families had any business dealings
with, or been employed by, any ofthese attorneys or law firms?
5. The potential witnesses in this case are:(typed list to be supplied by the
parties). Are you familiar with any ofthese potential witnesses?
6. The law enforcement agencies involved in this case are .
Would the fact that investigated this case interfere with your ability to
be fair and impartial?
7. Have you or any member of your immediate family ever been employed
by, or investigated by, any law enforcement agency, including ?
8. Do you believe that you will give more or less weight to the testimony of
a law enforcement officer, simply because he or she is employed as a law
enforcement officer?
9. Have you or any member of your immediate family ever been(a)a victim
of a crime,(b)a witness in a criminal case, or(c)arrested for a crime, not
including minor traffic offenses?
10. Do you have any opinions about the criminaljustice system that might
make it difficult for you to be a fair and impartial juror in this case?
11. If you are selected to sit as a juror in this case, are you aware of any
reason why you would be unable to render a verdict based solely on the evidence
presented at trial?
12. If you are selected to sit as a juror in this case, are you aware of any
reason why you would not be able to follow the law as I give it to you?
13. A fundamental principle of our legal system is that when a person is
charged with a crime,[s)he is presumed to be innocent unless and until the
Government proves guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If you are selected to sit as a
juror in this case, will you have difficulty following this rule oflaw?
14. ,as the defendant in this case, may choose not to testify in
his/her own defense, and I instruct you that the choice not to testify, ifthat is
choice, may not be held against .If you are selected as a juror in this case,
will you have difficulty following this instruction?
15. Testimony may be presented in this case by a witness who has agreed to
testify as part of a guilty plea agreement with the Government. I instruct you that if
such a witness testifies, you will have to evaluate that witness's testimony as you
would that of any other witness. If you are selected as a juror in this case, will you
have difficulty following this instruction?
16. Have you served on a jury in a criminal case before?
17. Have you served on a grand jxiry before?
18. Is there anything, such as poor vision, difficulty hearing, difficulty
understanding spoken or written English, that would make it difficult for you to
serve on this jury?
19. This is the last question. Is there anything else, including something you
have remembered in connection with one ofthe earlier questions, that you think
you would like to tell me in connection with your service as a juror in this case?
