Oklahoma Blog: Criminal Law Situations

 

Oklahoma Criminal Defense and Jury Selection - Finding Your Peers

When an Oklahoma criminal defense attorney engages in the process that's known as voire dire, which is the legal term for jury selection, he or she needs to make every effort to fill the jury panel with those people who tend to see the situation from a perspective that's as similar to yours as possible.  Several different factors must be thought of and explored when a potential juror is questioned, including the person's socio-economic background, any experiences he or she has that could be relevant in how that juror would view the evidence that will be presented at trial and finding jurors who are likely to keep an open mind as the trial progresses.

Oklahoma Criminal Defense Case Jury Selection - Eliminating Potential Problems

In addition to working to find jurors that are more likely to see things from your perspective than from a differing point of view, an Oklahoma criminal defense attorney who has the skill necessary to handle this process will also work to eliminate those who may be predisposed to view alleged crimes and their commission as likely to have happened.  Even though everyone understands that criminal defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty, human nature can override this norm even when a person does not realize it.  Oklahoma criminal defense attorneys can challenge certain prospective jurors' inclusion in the trial, and those challenges need to be used wisely.

Overall, the jury selection process may not only be critical to your Oklahoma criminal defense case, but some feel that many cases are won and lost during this process.  The logic is relatively simple - the ultimate verdict is reached by people, and the types of people sitting on a jury will go a long way towards determining how and what decision is reached.  Rather than attempt to handle this highly technical and strategic process yourself, you need to make sure you do everything possible to build a jury that provides you with the opportunity to fairly present your defense.  Contact an Oklahoma criminal defense attorney at Atkins & Markoff today to schedule an initial consultation.

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