If a police officer realizes a friend is on the jury, what should they do?

• A. Tell the prosecutor that he knows one of the jurors
• B. Inform the judge and request excusal
• C. Confront the juror
• D. Do nothing

Answer: (A)

When a juror might be biased because of a personal connection, the trial’s fairness hinges on addressing that risk through proper channels. If a police officer realizes a friend is serving on the jury, the right move is to inform the prosecutor about the known juror. The prosecutor oversees the juror selection process and can raise the issue with the judge, potentially moving for an excusal or otherwise ensuring impartiality. Confronting the juror directly would be inappropriate and could taint the proceedings, and doing nothing would leave the risk of biased judgment unaddressed. So, notifying the prosecutor promptly preserves the integrity of the trial by allowing the matter to be handled through the established process.