challenge for cause

Plain English

During jury selection, either the prosecution or defense can ask the judge to remove a potential juror for a specific, legitimate reason—such as bias, a conflict of interest, or a personal connection to the case. Unlike a peremptory challenge (which requires no reason), a challenge for cause must be based on actual evidence that the juror cannot be fair. The judge decides whether to grant it.

Example

During a trial for a car accident, a potential juror reveals that she was hit by a car five years ago and still has nightmares about it. The defense attorney makes a challenge for cause, arguing the juror's past trauma makes her biased. The judge agrees and removes her from the jury pool.

Used in a sentence

“The prosecutor successfully used a challenge for cause to remove a juror who admitted she knew the defendant personally.”

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