M Civ JI 97.02 Selection of Fair and Impartial Jury

(1) A trial begins with the selection of a jury. The purpose of this process is to obtain information about you that will help us choose a fair and impartial jury to hear this case.

(2) During jury selection the lawyers and I will ask you questions. This is called the voir dire. The questions are meant to find out if you know anything about the case. Also, we need to find out if you have any opinions or personal experiences that might influence you for or against any of the parties or witnesses.

(3) The questions may probe deeply into your attitudes, beliefs and experiences. They are not meant to be an unreasonable prying into your private lives. The law requires that we get this information so that an impartial jury can be chosen.

(4) If you do not hear or understand a question, you should say so. If you do understand it, you should answer it truthfully and completely. Please do not hesitate to speak freely about anything you believe we should know.

Note on Use

The judge may indicate the method he or she wishes jurors to follow in answering questions.

History

M Civ JI 97.02 was added March 2005.