READING 2 Jury Duty

JURY DUTY

Members of a jury listen to an attorney’s argument.

Read the following article. Pay special attention to the words in bold. 13.3

All Americans are protected by the Constitution. No one person can decide if a person is guilty of a crime. Every citizen has the right to a trial by jury. When a person is charged with a crime, he or she is considered innocent until the jury decides he or she is guilty.

Most American citizens are chosen for jury duty at some time in their lives. How are jurors chosen? The court gets the names of citizens from lists of taxpayers, licensed drivers, and voters. Many people are called to the courthouse for the selection of a jury. From this large group, a limited number of people is chosen. Alternates1 are also chosen. The lawyers and the judge ask each person questions to see if the person is going to be fair. If the person has made any judgment about the case before hearing the facts presented in the trial, he or she is not selected. If the person doesn’t understand enough English, he or she is not selected. The court needs jurors who can understand the facts and be open-minded. When the final jury selection is made, the jurors must promise to be fair in deciding the case.

Sometimes a trial goes on for several days or more. Jurors are not permitted to talk with family members and friends about the case. In some cases, jurors are not permitted to go home until the case is over. They stay in a hotel and are not permitted to watch TV or read newspapers that give information about the case.

After the jurors hear the case, they have to reach a decision, or a verdict. They go to a separate room and talk about what they heard and saw in the courtroom. When they are finished discussing the case, they take a vote.

Jurors are paid for their work. They receive a small amount of money per day. Employers must give a worker permission to take off work to be on a jury. Jury duty is considered a very serious responsibility.

1 alternate: a person who takes the place of a juror who cannot serve for some reason, such as illness

COMPREHENSION Based on the reading, write T for true or F for false.

1. Only American citizens are selected for a jury in the United States. 2. People with limited English are often not selected for jury duty. 3. Jurors receive a small amount of money for serving.