Attorney-Conducted Voir Dire in New Jersey – the Essential
Date: Sep 17, 2022 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Location: Online
Areas of Law:
Earn up to 4 credits! (More Information)
Keynote
Moderator
Presenters
On July 12th, the Chief Justice signed an order authorizing a pilot program to explore attorney-conducted voir dire in criminal matters starting in September in Bergen, Camden and Middlesex Counties. The order followed the recommendation of a Judicial Conference Committee that extensively studied the issue.
Join the New Jersey Judiciary and the NJSBA as we partner for a half-day training on the essential elements of Attorney-Conducted Voir Dire (ACVD). The training will be comprised of two parts.
Part 1
A demonstration of ACVD with a judge, prosecutor, and defense attorney walking through the steps of the program. Video clips will be shown to illustrate key proceedings. Part 1 will also include a demonstration of how case-specific written questionnaires will be customized by the judge and attorneys before jury selection, and how juror responses will be received and reviewed before oral voir dire, including to identify hardships, for-cause challenges, and issues to address at sidebar.
Part 2
A moderated discussion led by Administrative Director Glenn A. Grant, with input from judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and recognized experts as to their perspectives on each stage of the ACVD process, including but not limited to the following:
- Informal discussion between judge and attorneys (and attorneys and clients) regarding the elements of the ACVD model and willingness to participate;
- Formal hearing with the judge, attorneys, and defendant on the record memorializing consent to participate and executing the consent and waiver form;
- Planning conference to cover the customization of the written questionnaire and the specifics of voir dire -- with reinforcement of the latitude afforded attorneys to question jurors within broad and clear guardrails;
- Receipt and use of the Rule 1:8-5 petit jury list with juror demographic information;
- Provision to judge and attorneys of the spreadsheet with juror responses to the case-specific questionnaire;
- Pre-voir dire hardships and for-cause challenges;
- Judicial introduction and start of oral voir dire;
- Attorney questioning of jurors -- illustrating a variety of models;
- Challenges for cause (and late-raised hardships) handled immediately, including for disruptive jurors;
- Replacement of jurors dismissed for cause during voir dire;
- Challenges for cause handled at the end of questioning;
- Attorney exercise of peremptories, with replacements inserted at random; and
- Empanelment of jury and dismissal of questioned and not-reached jurors.
Important Information About Our Events, Meetings, and More:
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Digital Materials & Environmental Commitment: As part of our commitment to environmental sustainability, unless otherwise noted, all seminar materials are provided as digital downloads. You can access these materials through:
- The “My Links” section at the top of our website for in-person or online events
- Or, for online programs, the event access link included in your joining instructions
Cancellation and Refund Policy:
If you need to cancel your registration and are not transferring to another program or date, please submit a written request to us at least three business days before the event, meeting, or gathering. You will receive a refund minus a $20.00 cancellation fee. No refunds or registration changes will be issued within three business days of the event, meeting, or gathering.
Stay Informed:
Registered participants will be notified of any schedule changes. For updates regarding inclement weather, please check your email or visit NJSBA.com.
Media Consent:
By participating in our events, meetings, or other gatherings, you agree to be photographed and/or recorded. Additionally, all media content captured during these gatherings will become the property of NJSBA. This content, including your image and name, may be used in our future promotional materials without additional consent or compensation.
Scholarship & Financial Assistance Policy:
Read our Scholarship & Financial Assistance Policy and submit an Application here: https://njsba.com/njicle/cle-programs/scholarship/