Court Reporter Practice Exam

When does polling of the jury take place?

1. Before the jury begins deliberations

2. After the jury verdict

3. During jury selection

4. When a mistrial is declared

The correct answer is: After the jury verdict

Polling of the jury occurs after the jury has reached a verdict. This process involves asking each juror individually to confirm their agreement with the verdict that has been announced in court. This step is important as it ensures that all jurors are in consensus about the decision, which can help prevent any potential issues regarding the validity of the verdict. Polling the jury serves to reaffirm the legitimacy of the verdict and to ensure that no jurors feel coerced or pressured into a decision they do not fully agree with. If any juror indicates that they do not agree with the verdict during this polling, the court can address the situation accordingly, which might involve further discussion among the jurors or, in extreme cases, declaring a mistrial. The other options do not align with the timing of jury polling. Before deliberations, the jurors have not yet formed a verdict, so polling would not be relevant. During jury selection, there is no verdict to confirm, and declaring a mistrial does not correlate with polling, as that pertains to a separate legal process. Thus, the correct context for this procedure is indeed after the jury has reached their verdict.