Juror worksheet-PRINT and bring to class Wed.

Juror Worksheet

Your Name:                                                                Period:                                    

Costume:   You will need to dress like a juror, which means that you can’t dress too casually—no sweatshirts, or sweatpants.  Usually a juror at a courthouse is dressed casually, but nicely.

Your job is to take good notes on the questions and testimony of the witnesses.  You really need to stay focused on what proof is being offered through witness testimony to prove the innocence or guilt of Iago and Othello.

Use paper to record evidence presentations.  Use paper to record testimony excerpts.

The first day:  You will be sworn in by the bailiff to render a “fair and true verdict in good conscience.”   You will need to be familiar with the objections and what “overruled” and “sustained” mean. You must remember not to base your verdict on the play itself, but on the effectiveness of the attorneys who argue their case.  This means that your verdict should be based solely on which team was most persuasive in its argument.

Objection:                  This is made by either a defense or a prosecuting attorney if either finds the line of questioning irrelevant or, constituting harassment of witness.

Overruled:     Only the judge has the privilege to overrule, which means that whoever raised an objection, will be silent and the attorney w ill continue questioning.

Sustained:      Only the judge may say this.  If an objection is raised and the judge agrees with the objection, then the attorney questioning the witness must rephrase the question or stop the line of questioning altogether.

Throughout the trial you will take good notes to remind yourself of the attorney questions and the witness testimonies.

On the last day of the trial, after closing arguments from both sides, you will adjourn with the rest of the jury to render a verdict.  You will have to appoint a jury foreman/woman, who will guide the jury in deliberations.  Once you have reached a decision, you will come back into court and deliver your verdict to the judge via the bailiff, and when prompted, your foreman or woman will announce the verdict to the court.

Select a Jury foreman or forewoman.

Below is a list of responsibilities of the jury foreman or forewoman and the jurors:

1.                  Foreman or Forewoman:  Meet with other jurors in the jury room when it is time for deliberations. It is one of the foreman's responsibilities to make sure every member of the jury is present before the discussions can begin.

2.                  Lead the jury in discussions during the deliberations. Ensure that all the issues in the case are fully discussed in order to reach an appropriate verdict.

3.                  Make sure that the deliberations are conducted in an orderly manner. The discussions should be open and free so that every juror can participate.

4.                  Remind the jury members to meet their responsibilities during deliberations. Every juror must state his or her views about the case, what he or she thinks the verdict should be and why.

5.                  Send a message to the judge when necessary. This will occur when the jury has a question, needs clarification, or requires further guidance during deliberations or when the jury is ready with a verdict.

6.                  Ask for recorded testimony to be read back to the jury if necessary. This may be the next step when the jury cannot agree on what was said in a testimony and cannot continue with the deliberations. However, this would mean that the jury, parties, attorneys and the judge will have to return to court, so this request should only be made when necessary.

7.                  Have the members vote for the appropriate sentence. Every member must vote on each charge in the case. If this is a criminal case, all members must agree unanimously on the verdict. In a civil case the judge will let you know how many votes are needed for a verdict.

8.                  Count the votes to ensure that every juror has voted.

9.                  Fill out the verdict form when the jury has arrived at one. The form will have a "guilty" or "not guilty" space for each charge. Check the appropriate box; then sign the form on behalf of the jury.

10.              Inform the bailiff when the jury is ready to announce a verdict. When returning to the court, you will be expected to take the signed verdict form as well as any other used, but unsigned, verdict forms.

11.              Announce the jury's verdict to the court when prompted by the judge.