§ 9-10-12 - Drawing and impaneling of trial jury. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 9-10-12

   § 9-10-12  Drawing and impaneling of trialjury. – On the day when the petit jurors are summoned to attend at a court in any courtfor the trial of either civil or criminal cases, the clerk shall cause the nameand place of abode of each person summoned as a juror to be written upon aseparate paper, all of which papers shall be as nearly as may be of the samesize, and shall cause them to be placed in a box provided for that purpose.When a case is brought on to be tried, the clerk in open court shall shake thepapers thoroughly and shall then draw out twelve (12) papers in criminal casesor six (6) papers in civil cases, one after the other, or such other number asordered by the court. If any of the persons whose names are so drawn do notappear, or are excused, or are set aside, the clerk shall draw out other papersuntil the names of an appropriate number of jurors are drawn who appear and arenot excused or set aside. The jurors shall be duly sworn and impaneled, andshall be the jury to try the issue, and one of them shall be appointedforeperson by the court. The names of the jurors so sworn shall be kept bythemselves and, when the verdict of the jury has been recorded or when the juryhas been discharged by consent of parties or by leave of court, shall bereturned to the box; and this process shall be repeated in each case when anissue is brought on to be tried by the jury; but if an issue is so brought onbefore the verdict in any other case has been recorded or the jury in the casehas been discharged, the court may order a jury for the trial of such issue tobe impaneled by drawing, in the manner provided, of papers from those thenremaining in the box.