How does jury selection work?
Usually the week the case goes to trial or the Friday before the trial, a jury is selected. A self represented defendant or the defense attorney and the Assistant State Attorney, interview members of the community to select the jury. Both prosecution and defense perform the questioning based on specific rules, and either side can accept or reject potential jurors until jury selection is complete. The jury selection process can take several hours, and in the case of very serious charges, jury selection can take more than one day. It is important to note that many judges will not allow a plea to be accepted after jury selection is complete unless there are very extenuating circumstances.
