Impeachment: Basic rules of jury duty don’t apply? 

I paid close attention to the proceedings of the impeachment and trial of former President Trump. I was confused, however, when informed the trial would be conducted in a fair and impartial manner.

If I am summoned to jury duty and assigned to a potential jury panel, I will be asked questions by the court, the prosecutor and defense counsel. The most important are asked to determine if I am capable of functioning in a fair and impartial way.

If I state that I know the defendant, have studied the facts of the case and discussed it with others – or even more important, made a decision as to the guilt or innocence of the defendant – I will, without a doubt, be dismissed from the jury panel.

How, then, can a senator who has stated publicly that he or she has made a decision as to the former president’s guilt or innocence swear to act as a fair and impartial juror? I find that puzzling.

This story was originally published February 16, 2021 at 11:04 AM with the headline "Impeachment: Basic rules of jury duty don’t apply? ."