Art. 784 Method of selecting panel

When a court picks people to serve on a jury, it has to choose their names by chance, not by handpicking who it wants. This selection happens in open court, meaning the public can see it happen. The exact method used to draw names is left up to each court to decide, as long as it's done randomly.

Some courts, including the Criminal District Court in Orleans Parish, use what's called a jury pool system. In these courts, the jury panel is still chosen randomly, but the specific process follows that court's own local rules. Either way, the goal is the same: nobody gets to cherry pick who ends up on the jury. The selection has to be left to chance so the process stays fair.