A. A preliminary examination of a prospective juror by the judge or lawyer.
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to pronunciationLegal Definition - 1. A preliminary examination of a prospective juror by the judge or lawyer to decide whether the prospect is qualified and suitable to serve on a jury. - Loosely, the term refers to the jury selection phase of the trial. 2. A preliminary examination to test the competency of a witness or evidence. 3. Hist. An oath administered to a witness requiring that witness to answer truthfully in response to questions. Black's Law Dictionary® Eighth Edition © 2004
Recent Usage - "A new trial is warranted for a case in which a Philadelphia judge did not permit plaintiffs counsel to voir dire prospective jurors as to their knowledge of the medical malpractice crisis issue, an en banc panel of the Pennsylvania Superior Court has ruled in a 6-3 decision. Reversing Judge Mary D. Colins, the majority in Capoferri v. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia noted the substantial media coverage of the so-called med-mal crisis when the trial in that case got under way in late 2003." The Legal Intelligencer 02-07-2006