2. Become a worst-case scenario.
Jury selection begins with a process called “voir dire” (which may be French for ‘verbal sedative’). Basically, this is when prospective jurors fill out questionnaires, and are asked questions by lawyers on both sides of the case to determine if they would be fit for the jury.
All parties involved want an impartial jury (or at least one that they can convince to see things their way). Stubborn people that won’t let something as inconvenient as facts get in the way of their opinion will generally not end up on a jury. So being difficult, rigid, and generally displaying an unwillingness to listen to different viewpoints is usually a one-way ticket out the doors of the courtroom.
Also, feel free to showcase your subjectivity. Become a font of preconceived notions and unbending opinions. When asked if you think you can be objective, consider just saying no.
3. Search your mind for some bias.
Think really hard about it: is there anything in your past that might bias you?
Say the case is about asbestos. Any sort of past experience with asbestos can, in theory, make you unable to be impartial. During voir dire, answers such as “They’re removing asbestos from my office building right now”, “My brother works in asbestos removal ” or even “I fireproofed my artillery bunker with asbestos” would all be likely to make you a less-than-desirable juror (the latter also making you potentially dangerous). Conversely, the answer “What’s asbestos?” would probably make you look perfect for a jury.
4. Proclaim your rights.
Our forefathers were smart dudes. Presciently wary of governmental power-grabbing, they gave the people ways of fighting unjust laws—one of which was the right of juries to ‘veto’. This essentially means that if a jury thinks that a law is wrong, they can refuse to convict someone of breaking it. It’s a little known right of citizenship. Merely knowing information like this makes you a wild-card—one a lawyer or judge would just as soon pass over for a jury. Let’s call this one a last resort.
Remember, the judge in any case knows that people try to get out of jury duty—so be smart about what you say. Don’t lie-- you’re dealing with the justice system here, and they are used to catching liars and punishing them. Just do a little research, be prepared, and think outside of the juror box.
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