To maximize the chances of a successful voir dire, an attorney must counteract the negative views with which many potential jurors enter the courtroom, understand the gap between the way jurors make decisions in their own lives and the jury room, and resist the temptation to fall prey to some common pitfalls.
Voir dire reveals potential jurors’ feelings and sentiments about issues germane to the case, as well as varying abilities to serve on the panel. It can identify biases based on pre-existing attitudes, beliefs and experiences and is it crucial to determining who will be a friend, a foe or merely a follower in the deliberation room.
