Jury Selection in Misdemeanor Cases

As any experienced criminal defense attorney will tell you, there is much more to a misdemeanor trial than arguing in front of the judge and jury. Your Sacramento misdemeanor criminal attorney must begin advocating for you before the trial even begins.

Perhaps the best example for this is jury selection. During jury selection, which is also known as voir dire, your attorney will interview potential jurors in an attempt to screen out those who might be unfairly biased against you.

Voir dire is an art. Your attorney must ask potential jurors a series of questions regarding their background and their personal beliefs without coming across as invasive. Because people are often unaware of their own biases, your attorney must ask questions designed to indirectly reveal these biases. It requires your attorney to ask questions that are open ended enough so that potential jurors have a chance to articulate their opinions and the reasons behind them; yet, the questions must be specific enough that the potential jurors aren’t left wondering why the question is even relevant.

All of this is necessary because biased jurors can put innocent people in jail. Biases often lead otherwise rational people to ignore solid arguments that conflict with their beliefs. It’s easy to see how this could compromise a misdemeanor trial.

If you have been charged with a misdemeanor in the Sacramento area, you will need a dedicated Sacramento misdemeanor criminal attorney who will advocate for you during all steps of your trial. Make sure you have the right attorney on your side. Call Sacramento misdemeanor criminal attorney Param Pabla today for an initial consultation.