ABSTRACT
In North America, youth are being increasingly treated as adults in the legal system (Bala, 1994; Grisso, 1996). In Canada, youth aged 14 to 17 have the option of a jury trial when transferred to adult court. Furthermore, recent amendments to the Young Offenders Act in Canada have extended the right to a jury trial in youth court to youth charged with the commission of certain violent crimes. A central issue regarding jury trials for juveniles is the fact that these youth are not tried by a jury of their “peers,” but by a jury of adults. A jury of one's peers is based on two premises: that the jury be made up of members from the defendant's community, and that the defendant is entitled to an impartial jury (Golash, 1992; Perez, Hosch, Ponder, & Trejo, 1993). The process of selecting an impartial jury has become a major endeavor, particularly in the American justice system. Jury selection procedures are often lengthy and cumbersome; yet throughout North America, certain procedures are followed in the hopes of securing an impartial jury.
