Legal Definitions - tales

In legal contexts, tales refers to a group of additional potential jurors who are called upon, often from individuals already present at the courthouse, to complete a jury panel when the original pool of summoned jurors becomes insufficient. It can also refer to the legal order or process used to summon these extra jurors.

This situation typically arises when too many prospective jurors from the initial summons are excused due to challenges (e.g., for bias) or exemptions (e.g., for medical reasons), leaving the court without enough people to select a full jury.

• Example 1: High-Profile Trial

  During a highly publicized criminal trial, the court had initially summoned 100 potential jurors. However, after extensive questioning, 70 of these individuals were excused due to strong personal biases related to the case, and another 15 were granted hardship exemptions. With only 15 potential jurors remaining, the judge realized there weren't enough to select the required 12 jurors plus alternates. The judge then issued an order for tales, instructing court staff to gather additional potential jurors from the general public present in the courthouse lobby and hallways, to ensure the trial could proceed without delay.

  Explanation: This example illustrates tales as the process and the resulting group of additional jurors needed when the initial pool is significantly depleted by challenges and exemptions in a high-profile case.

• Example 2: Unexpected Juror Shortage

  A civil lawsuit was scheduled to begin jury selection, and the court had a standard panel of 50 prospective jurors. On the morning of jury selection, a sudden flu outbreak affected several members of the initial panel, and others failed to appear due to unforeseen emergencies. As a result, only 25 jurors were available, which was deemed insufficient for a fair selection process given the anticipated number of peremptory challenges from both legal teams. To avoid postponing the trial, the judge ordered a tales, bringing in individuals from other courtrooms or waiting areas within the courthouse to quickly supplement the jury pool.

  Explanation: Here, tales refers to the immediate summoning of extra jurors to address an unexpected shortage caused by absences, ensuring the court has enough candidates to form a complete jury.