I think your answer is that just reading the transcripts would not be as good as hearing and observing the testimony.
The first thing that potential jurors are asked is if they know anyone in the courtroom, and this is in the presence of the judge, bailiffs, attorneys for both sides, defendant, and a few other people. If you answer that you do know someone, they ask if your knowledge of the person would prevent you from rendering an impartial verdict in the trial to come. The question of whether a potential juror knows a particular person comes up repeatedly.
In the trial I served on, the attorneys also informed us of the sexual orientation of the defendant and asked if that would be a problem.
The jury is allowed to form an opinion of the credibility of the statements of any of the players and use that to weigh anything said against anything else. But it will be from an opinion formed in the courtroom, not from a preexisting opinion, nor from internet research.
BTW I never had to serve the USA in the military, so I weigh the inconvenience of six or seven days of jury service spread over three or four weeks against the fact that my life was not in danger.
Comments
I think your answer is that just reading the transcripts would not be as good as hearing and observing the testimony.
The first thing that potential jurors are asked is if they know anyone in the courtroom, and this is in the presence of the judge, bailiffs, attorneys for both sides, defendant, and a few other people. If you answer that you do know someone, they ask if your knowledge of the person would prevent you from rendering an impartial verdict in the trial to come. The question of whether a potential juror knows a particular person comes up repeatedly.
In the trial I served on, the attorneys also informed us of the sexual orientation of the defendant and asked if that would be a problem.
The jury is allowed to form an opinion of the credibility of the statements of any of the players and use that to weigh anything said against anything else. But it will be from an opinion formed in the courtroom, not from a preexisting opinion, nor from internet research.
BTW I never had to serve the USA in the military, so I weigh the inconvenience of six or seven days of jury service spread over three or four weeks against the fact that my life was not in danger.