Jury selection is a crucially important part of every criminal and civil trial in this country. Judges use the selection process to find a panel of jurors who will fairly and honestly try the case, and trial lawyers look for fair-minded jurors who might be just a little more fair to their clients.
The importance of jury selection to the administration of justice is illustrated by the story of a conversation between an English barrister and a Texas trial lawyer. The Texan asks the barrister when a trial officially starts under the British system. The barrister replies, “My right honorable friend, under our system of justice, the trial starts when the jury is seated and sworn.” The Texas trial lawyer smiles, pauses for effect, and responds, “Well, Pardner, at that point in Texas the trial is over!” That simple story helps explain the meteoric growth of the jury consulting industry in this country and the laborious voir dire of prospective jurors in high-stakes trials.
