In South Carolina, voir dire in a civil trial typically lasts 30 minutes, a breeze compared with 16 hours in Connecticut. If you’re trying a case in Rhode Island, there’s a good chance you will question jurors individually, a rare occurrence in North Carolina. And count on Arizona’s jurors to submit questions to witnesses — but don’t waste your time worrying about this if your trial is in Mississippi.
Such differences are among the findings of a new report, the first of its kind to examine jury practices from state to state. Released last week, the report was produced by the National Center for State Courts in Williamsburg, Va., and the State Justice Institute in Alexandria, Va.
