Juries in Maryland Robbery Cases 

A judge is not going to be permitted to select the jury pool, but it will be their responsibility to make sure that the jury is made up of a group of peers (a broad range of people that are available within the jury pool) that the defense and the prosecution can select from.

The judge will have the ability to strike out people that would not be appropriate for selection; the prosecution and defense attorney will work together within the confines of Jury Selection Rules to determine which jurors would be hearing the case. Hiring an experienced robbery attorney is very important, so they defend you and help present your case to the jury.

Common Characteristics When Selecting Jurors

The jury is selected by the defense and the prosecution, based on a number of different factors, e.g., experiences that the jurors themselves have had; their views on certain issues that might be associated with the case; their prior service on juries; the results of those prior services on juries; should all be taken into consideration by the parties selecting the jury.

Before a jury is selected, the defense and the prosecution have to submit questions to the judge called voir dire. From these questions to the jury and their responses, the Prosecutor and defense attorney will make their determination as to whether or not each juror would be appropriate to hear the case. All parties are permitted to gain information about the jurors before the juror would actually be seated to hear a particular case.

Duration of Jury Selection Process

The jury selection process could take anywhere from a few hours all the way up to several days depending on the kind of case, the number of witnesses, and the type of issues that would come up.

Diversity of the Jury

The results of a Maryland robbery trial are impacted by many things, particularly the information that is presented to the jury. How they are affected by the information presented to them by the Prosecutor and defense attorney is dependent on their life experiences. How one particular fact might impact the jury is an impossible question to answer. It is important to have a wide cross-section of jurors that are interpreting that information so that healthy debate can lead to healthy deliberation in determining whether or not the State proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jurors that all think the same way about a particular issue or a particular subject matter would not be deliberating within the spirit of the jury system. It is better that they are all given an opportunity to debate a case, the information presented to them, and give the justest verdict.

Impact of Jury on a Trial

A jury can impact a trial in any number of ways. Most important is who is on the jury that will determine the strategy that the prosecution and defense employ in terms of how they present their case. Some juries might give the impression that they are more sympathetic to one type of witness than another or one type of presentation than another.

How Juries Arrive at the Result

Juries in robbery cases in Maryland must work off of the standard of “beyond a reasonable doubt” and they must deliver a unanimous verdict of guilty if the prosecution has proven its case. If even one of the 12 jurors does not find guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, then unanimity with the other 11 jurors and a verdict cannot be reached.

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt vs Preponderance of Evidence

“Beyond a reasonable doubt” is the highest standard of proof within the justice system. It is applied to criminal cases because a person’s liberty is generally at stake in those circumstances and, for that reason, the highest level of proof must be shown. In a preponderance of evidence case, the court is balancing interests and evidence and, for that reason, the standard is much different.

Benefits of an Attorney

A robbery charge can make for a long and difficult case. Make sure you know the role that the jury plays in the decision of your Maryland robbery case. You should contact a Maryland robbery lawyer as soon as possible, so they can represent you in court and help prove your case to the jury.