Legal Definitions - jury challenge

Definition: A formal objection made by a party in a legal case to disqualify a potential juror or an entire jury panel.

Examples:

• A Batson challenge is an objection that an opposing party has used a peremptory challenge to exclude a potential juror on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex.
• A challenge for cause is a party's challenge supported by a specified reason, such as bias or prejudice, that would disqualify that potential juror.
• A peremptory challenge is one of a party's limited number of challenges that do not need to be supported by a reason unless the opposing party makes a prima facie showing that the challenge was used to discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, or sex.

These examples illustrate how a jury challenge can be made for different reasons, such as discrimination or bias, and can be either for cause or peremptory.