Legal Definitions - special venire

A special venire refers to a panel of potential jurors selected for a particular trial using a method that deviates from the standard, routine process for jury selection. This deviation often occurs when a case has unique circumstances, such as high public interest, complex technical issues, or concerns about potential bias within the regular jury pool.

Typically, a standard "venire" (or jury pool) is drawn randomly from voter registration lists or driver's license records. However, a special venire is assembled when the court determines that the usual method might not yield an impartial or adequately qualified jury for a specific case.

Here are some examples:

• Example 1: High-Profile Environmental Lawsuit

  Imagine a major corporation is sued for alleged widespread environmental damage in a small, rural county where many residents either work for the company or are directly impacted by its operations. Due to the intense local interest and potential for bias, the court might order a special venire. Instead of drawing jurors solely from that county, the court could decide to select potential jurors from several surrounding counties to ensure a more diverse and impartial pool, less likely to have pre-formed opinions about the defendant or the plaintiffs.

  This illustrates a special venire because the usual method of drawing jurors from only the local county is altered to address concerns about impartiality in a high-profile case.

• Example 2: Complex Patent Infringement Case

  Consider a lawsuit between two technology companies involving highly intricate patent infringement claims related to advanced software algorithms. The judge might determine that a standard jury pool, randomly selected, might lack the foundational understanding necessary to grasp the technical evidence presented. In such a scenario, the court could order a special venire where potential jurors are screened for specific educational backgrounds or professional experience in computer science, engineering, or a related technical field, to ensure they can competently evaluate the complex technical arguments.

  This demonstrates a special venire because the selection process is modified to seek out jurors with particular qualifications (technical expertise) deemed essential for understanding the complex subject matter of the trial.

• Example 3: Capital Murder Trial with Extensive Pre-Trial Publicity

  In a sensational capital murder case that has received continuous, extensive media coverage for months in a particular city, it might be challenging to find 12 unbiased jurors from the standard local jury pool. The defense or prosecution might request, and the judge could grant, a special venire. This could involve drawing potential jurors from a much wider geographic area, or employing a more rigorous and extensive questionnaire and individual questioning process during jury selection (voir dire) to identify individuals who have not been unduly influenced by the media or who can set aside any pre-conceived notions.

  This exemplifies a special venire as the court takes extraordinary measures beyond routine selection to mitigate the impact of widespread pre-trial publicity and ensure the selection of an impartial jury.