MovieChat Forums > Juror #2 (2024) Discussion > Voir Dire: is the Q&A done so publicly?

Voir Dire: is the Q&A done so publicly?


In the opening, the judge asks them if there is anything that would prevent them from serving. The main character and some woman stand up and say, in front of everyone, why they want to be excused. The main character has to broadcast personal info about his wife’s high risk pregnancy. During voir dire, the lawyers question the jurors in front of everyone, and the jurors have to broadcast their answers for everyone to hear. One juror has to broadcast that his wife has custody over their daughter

In NYC, this process is done privately. They call individuals up to the judge’s desk, and there, the lawyers stand and question the individual. The other jurors remain seated at a distance, outside of earshot. The court also plays something on the PA system to block out any words that the other jurors may hear

Do some areas do voir dire so openly as this movie shows?

reply

I haven’t seen the movie yet but what you’re describing doesn’t sound like particularly sensitive information that would embarrass a person. Just sounds like the type of life experiences we all (or a close family member) have gone through. When lawyers are about to tread on highly personal (but relevant) inquiry in void dire in my state, they will typically ask people to raise a hand to signal they may have something relevant to discuss outside the presence of everyone else. Usually however, the public discussion is extremely important as it prompts the memory or recognition of others in the venire who might not have thought about it until too late into the analogous evidence in the middle of trial

reply

It is done this way where I am at, but different judges have different methods they use.

reply