What does jurors submission of questions to witnesses refer to?
Jurors submission of questions to witnesses refers to an innovative procedure currently being utilized in some civil and criminal courts across the country. It generally involves jurors submitting written questions to a judge, who then approves or disapproves it. If approved, the question is generally posed to the witness by the judge. Questions that are allowed are usually purely for the purpose of clarification. Judges and attorneys who have used this technique report that the vast majority of juror questions are serious, concise, and relevant to the trial proceedings. There is no evidence that permitting jurors to pose questions to the witnesses has any significant effect on the deliberative role of the jury. Likewise, the fact that irrelevant or prejudicial questions are not posed to witnesses does not appear to affect the jurors judgment in any significant manner.