- voir dire
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voir dire 1 /'vwär-'dir, 'wär-/ n [Anglo-French, to speak the truth]: a formal examination esp. to determine qualification (as of a proposed witness)the judge admitted the witness's expert testimony after a voir dire by the attorney; esp: the act or process of questioning prospective jurors to determine which are qualified (as by freedom from bias) and suited for service on a juryvoir dire 2 vt voir dired, voir dir·ing: to examine in a voir dire proceedinga motion to voir dire the witness outside the presence of the juryvoir diring prospective jurors as to their beliefs concerning the death penalty — State v. Ortiz, 540 P.2d 850 (1975) (concur)
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.
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noun
examination for qualification for jury service, hearing before the court, hearing without jury's presence, inquiry, judicial examination
Burton's Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006
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n.(French) To say the truth.(1) The preliminary examination of potential jurors by the judge and attorneys to decide whether they are qualified for jury service and whether any conflicts exist.(2) A hearing done during a trial outside the hearing of the jury in order to determine some point that the court must rule on without the jury.
The Essential Law Dictionary. — Sphinx Publishing, An imprint of Sourcebooks, Inc. Amy Hackney Blackwell. 2008.
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'to speak the truth', a trial within a trial or initial inquisition to see if a confession is voluntary. In some US states it is used in the process of empanelling jurors.
Collins dictionary of law. W. J. Stewart. 2001.
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(vwah-deer) French for "to speak the truth," this is the questioning in court of prospective jurors by a judge or attorneys. The purpose is to determine if any juror is biased or cannot deal with the issues fairly, or if there is cause not to allow a juror to serve (such as knowledge of the facts or acquaintance with the parties or witnesses). When attorneys are allowed to conduct the voir dire, they often try to ask questions that will reveal individuals' personalities and political or cultural persuasions. In cases where the facts are shocking or the evidence is difficult to view, attorneys may also use voir dire as a way to introduce the issues so that the eventual jurors are prepared for what will happen at trial.Category: Small Claims Court & Lawsuits
Nolo’s Plain-English Law Dictionary. Gerald N. Hill, Kathleen Thompson Hill. 2009.
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n. French Literally to see, to speak; hence, idiomatically, to speak the truth. The usual reference is to an examination by the attorneys and/or the court of prospective jurors to determine whether reasons exist that might disqualify them or cause their selection to be challenged, other than peremptorily. During a trial, a voir dire examination refers to one outside the hearing of the jury concerning some issue of fact or law that requires the court to rule.
Webster's New World Law Dictionary. Susan Ellis Wild. 2000.
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(Old French: To speak the truth.)The preliminary examination of prospective jurors to determine their qualifications and suitability to serve on a jury, in order to ensure the selection of fair and impartial jury.
Dictionary from West's Encyclopedia of American Law. 2005.
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I
[Old French, To speak the truth.] The preliminary examination of prospective jurors to determine their qualifications and suitability to serve on a jury, in order to ensure the selection of fair and impartial jury.II The preliminary examination made in court of a witness or juror to determine his competency or interest in a matter. Literally, to speak the truth.
Short Dictionary of (mostly American) Legal Terms and Abbreviations.
- voir dire
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[vwahr [with a near-silent "r"] deer]n.from French "to see to speak," the questioning of prospective jurors by a judge and attorneys in court. Voir dire is used to determine if any juror is biased and/or cannot deal with the issues fairly, or if there is cause not to allow a juror to serve (knowledge of the facts; acquaintanceship with parties, witnesses or attorneys; occupation which might lead to bias; prejudice against the death penalty; or previous experiences such as having been sued in a similar case). Actually one of the unspoken purposes of the voir dire is for the attorneys to get a feel for the personalities and likely views of the people on the jury panel. In some courts the judge asks most of the questions, while in others the lawyers are given substantial latitude and time to ask questions. Some jurors may be dismissed for cause by the judge, and the attorneys may excuse others in "peremptory" challenges without stating any reason.2) questions asked to determine the competence of an alleged expert witness.3) any hearing outside the presence of the jury held during trial.
Law dictionary. EdwART. 2013.
