In the voir dire, the jurors are told in a general way what the case is about and who the parties and attorneys are. Then the judge and the attorneys question the jurors to find out if any juror has previous knowledge about the case, the parties or their attorneys, any bias, prejudice, sympathy or preconceived ideas about the case, a personal interest in the case or if any juror for any other reason cannot render an impartial verdict. Either side may ask that a juror be excused. If you are excused in a particular case, you should understand that it is not a reflection upon your ability, integrity or fairness. You may be selected later to serve on another jury.
Every trial is governed by a set of rules.
The rules govern statements contained in the complaint and answer, the order of the evidence presented, the evidence that should be presented to the jury, the form of questions to witnesses and the arguments of the lawyers. Because these rules exist, we can foresee what will happen in a lawsuit and lawyers and judges can properly prepare for trial. Without the rules, the trial would result in injustice. The rules provide for five stages of a jury trial. The first stage is the opening statements made by the attorneys.