Jury selection is the process in which the parties to a lawsuit—usually through their attorneys—ask questions of potential jurors seated in the courtroom (the jury panel or venire panel). Parties to a lawsuit—usually acting through their attorneys—may strike some potential jurors without stating a reason (peremptory strikes), and may ask the court to strike other potential jurors on the grounds the potential juror is biased, cannot be fair, or cannot follow the law—known as a strike for cause, challenge for cause, or removal for cause.
In Utah, the jury selection process, also known as voir dire, involves attorneys from both sides questioning potential jurors to determine their suitability for serving on a jury. The questioning aims to uncover any biases or inability to follow the law impartially. During this process, attorneys can use peremptory strikes to remove a certain number of potential jurors without providing a reason, although these strikes cannot be used in a discriminatory manner as per the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Batson v. Kentucky. Additionally, attorneys may request that the court remove potential jurors for cause if it is believed that a juror cannot be impartial, is biased, or cannot follow the law. The number of peremptory strikes and the specific procedures for challenges for cause are governed by Utah state statutes and rules of court procedure.