Final answer:
The jury selection process is designed to ensure a representative cross-section of the community and to exclude biased individuals, in accordance with the Sixth Amendment, which requires an impartial jury for a fair trial.
Step-by-step explanation:
The jury selection process is fundamental in the criminal justice system and aims to achieve a dual goal. First, it seeks to ensure that potential jurors represent a fair cross-section of the community. Second, it aspires to exclude biased individuals who may be unable to render a fair and impartial verdict based on the evidence presented in the trial. Therefore, the correct answer to the initial question is to ensure that a fair cross section of the community is included as potential jurors and to:
- Exclude certain demographics
Both the prosecution and defense teams work to identify and remove potential jurors demonstrating prejudices that could compromise the trial's fairness. The Sixth Amendment underscores the necessity for an impartial jury as a cornerstone of the accused's rights to a fair trial. The unanimity of the jury's verdict is crucial, as all jurors must agree for a defendant to be convicted or acquitted.