What is a For Cause challenge?

What is a For Cause challenge?

• A. A challenge that allows dismissing a juror for any reason.
• B. A challenge that requires the attorney to inform the court of a reason for removal.
• C. A challenge in which the attorney must state to the court why the juror is being challenged.
• D. A challenge decided solely by the judge.

Answer: (C)

For Cause challenges are about removing a potential juror because there is a specific reason they cannot be fair. The essential point is that the attorney must state to the court exactly why that juror should be excluded—laying out why they cannot be impartial (such as bias, a personal connection to a party, or a clear conflict of interest). The judge then decides whether that stated reason shows cause and, if so, allows the removal. This differs from dismissals for any reason, where no explanation is required, and from challenges that are decided solely by the judge with no argument from the attorney. So the wording that best describes this process is that the attorney must explain to the court why the juror is being challenged.

For Cause challenges are about removing a potential juror because there is a specific reason they cannot be fair. The essential point is that the attorney must state to the court exactly why that juror should be excluded—laying out why they cannot be impartial (such as bias, a personal connection to a party, or a clear conflict of interest). The judge then decides whether that stated reason shows cause and, if so, allows the removal. This differs from dismissals for any reason, where no explanation is required, and from challenges that are decided solely by the judge with no argument from the attorney. So the wording that best describes this process is that the attorney must explain to the court why the juror is being challenged.