In the American legal system, a jury panel is a group of citizens chosen from the public or from a substantially representative group to decide the outcome of a trial. The people who make up a jury panel are responsible for hearing evidence presented by both parties in a legal dispute, and then determining the facts in the case. A jury panel is appointed by the court or chosen from a list of potential jurors, and the purpose of the jury is to ensure that justice is carried out fairly and without bias.
The jury panel typically consists of 12 people, randomly selected from the eligible individuals in a given jurisdiction with the specific laws varying by jurisdiction. The jury members will be unbiased when it comes to the issue of the trial, and are instructed to take whatever information and evidence presented to them to make an informed decision. Each member of the jury panel plays an important role in the decision-making process, as a majority vote is needed for either a conviction or an acquittal.
Juries are typically appointed to hear criminal matters in court, such as the current trial of Derek Chauvin, former Minneapolis police officer charged with murder in the death of George Floyd. The jury panel in that trial was chosen from among hundreds of eligible jurors in the Hennepin County district, and will be deciding whether or not the prosecution has proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Chauvin committed the crime he is accused of.
Additionally, juries can also be used in civil trials, in which a person sues another for damages or some other relief. In these cases, the jury members are presented with both sides of the dispute and then make a decision based on the facts they have heard and any applicable laws.
Jury panels play an important role in our legal system, and are vital to ensure that verdicts delivered are impartial and based on facts and evidence. Without them, there would be little to no guarantee that justice is attained. Jury panels provide witnesses and bystanders with confidence that the law will be upheld and that justice will be served.