Jury selection refers to a procedure employed to choose the people from among the community using a reasonably random method to serve on a trial jury. It is the policy of the State of Hawaii that all persons selected for jury service is selected at random from a fair cross section of the population of the area served by the court. All qualified citizens have the opportunity to be considered for jury and have an obligation to serve as jurors when summoned for that purpose. A citizen is not excluded from jury service on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, economic status, or physical disability.
A person is qualified to serve as a juror if the prospective juror:
- Is a citizen of the United States and of the State;
- Is at least eighteen years old;
- Is a resident of the circuit; and
- Is able to read, speak, and understand the English
Whereas, a person is disqualified to serve as a juror if h/she:
- Has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a jurors capacity for rendering satisfactory jury service; or
- Has been convicted of a felony in a state or federal court and not pardoned.[i]
The persons whose names are placed on the certified lists of prospective trial jurors filed by the clerk shall be subject to service for one year. However, prospective jurors who are challenged at voir dire and excused, and not called to a courtroom, or called to a courtroom but later excused shall return to the juror pool to await reassignment to another trial.[ii]
[i] HRS § 612-4 (2009)
[ii] HRS § 612-22 (2009)
