5 ms·
No, jurors have to swear to tell the truth when answering questions during jury selection. However, in practice if you express any reservations about police tes
by jqgatsby 9y ago
No, jurors have to swear to tell the truth when answering questions during jury selection. However, in practice if you express any reservations about police testimony you will very likely be struck from the jury by the DA.
My own limited experience on a jury is that, because of the way jurors are selected, they tend to be fairly deferential to authority (especially the judge's authority). Arguing for jury nullification or any similar concept is at a minimum going to freak your fellow jurors out, and I wouldn't be surprised if in practice they might ask the judge to kick you off the jury and use one of the alternates (regardless of whatever the legality of the situation calls for).
- Mithaldu 9y agoThe USA is a strange place. Thanks for the explanation.
- EpicEng 9y agoWhat's strange about anything the parent said?
- Mithaldu 9y agoAs far as i understand it a jury is supposed to be composed of one's "peers", but the people the parent describes strike me as way off the american norm.
- IncRnd 9y agoThat is not the meaning of the word peer in this case. The concept of a jury of peers differs from the King being the jury. It refers to citizens as peers not people with red hair, the same skin color, or socioeconomic background as peers.
- deleted 9y ago[deleted]
- dragonwriter 9y ago> However, in practice if you express any reservations about police testimony you will very likely be struck from the jury by the DA That's not my experience, and mere reservations about the credibility of police wouldn't usually justify a challenge for cause, and prosecutors have a finite number of peremptory challenges. (Now if you say cops are all liars and everything they say must be disregarded, sure, that’ll probably get you tossed.)
- michaelmrose 9y agoIf you want to nullify just don't say so say you believe the party is innocent you can't be replaced by an alternate because you disagree.