We previously discussed the rights and overview of the voir dire process for a Bucks County criminal case.
Voir dire is the first part of a process of a jury trial in Bucks County. Although the scope of voir dire rests within the sound discretion of the trial juge, the judge should not permit either direct or hypothetical questions designed to disclose what a juror's present impression or opinion may be or what his attitude or decision will likely be under certain facts which may be developed in the case.
Thus, a trial court has properly refused to allow questions on whether a juror would listen to the evidence and follow instructions on presumption of innocence; whether jurors would be prejudiced if they learned that the defendant used drugs, whether the juror had been the victim of any crime, not just the type of crime the defendant was charged with committing, whether a juror had a prior jury experience, whether a defendant's exercise of his right to silence would prejudice the juror, whether a juror had an opinion about ownership of handguns, whether a juror had an opinion regarding an insantity defense, or whether a prospective juror in a rape case was a member of an organization such as Women Organized Against Rape or had a possible affiliation with a victims' rights group. A court has also found that there was no abuse of discretion in a trial court's refusal to question the venire members about prior jury service.
Conducting a voir dire on the juror's place of residence is considered unnecessary and even improper, particularly when there is no issue that the panel comes from an inappropriate county.