I am amazed at:
The fixation on criminal trials, guilt and innocence by almost every poster above. In many jurisdictions there are far move civil suits heard by juries than criminal trials.
I don’t do criminal defense work, in 40 years of an average of three jury trials per month in the CTL law firm, EVERY one has been a Civil Trial with a jury of 6 members.
The inaccurate information posted is laughable.
Smerel, no American judge can hold you in contempt for saying you are racist or against the American government. The ability to make those statements are protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. The judge may personally have contempt for you, but cannot hold you in contempt and apply penalties for voicing those opinions during the voir dire process.
UJM, the voir dire questioning is usually conducted by the attorneys, not the judge. Often the defendant is not present. You would not be able to tell the judge anything about the defendant’s looks. In fact in most voir dire proceedings you don’t get a chance to address the judge until all the acceptable members of the jury have been chosen by the attorneys. Then the judge asks the chosen group if any one of them has a reason they should not serve. The others are removed from the courtroom and that potential juror is asked why. This is done so as not to bias the other jurors. This is likely the only time in the process a potential juror may address the judge.
When the judge introduces the case to the jury panel sent for questioning he/she typically says this trial is set to begin Tuesday the xx of xxxx, if anyone has a conflict with that please raise your hand. If only a couple of hands go up, those may be sent back to the holding room to be questioned for another trial or be excused, or told they may explain if they are chosen for the jury.
4 years ago I raised my hand when he judge said the trial would start two days before Pesach. I was sent back to the holding room and not sent back for questioning for another case. In CT you are called for one day and if not chosen for a jury you cannot be called again For three judicial years.