A person who has been accused of or has been convicted of misdemeanor theft may not be a juror.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only if convicted within the last year
• D. Only in misdemeanor cases

Answer: (A)

Jurors need to be able to weigh evidence impartially, without concerns about credibility stemming from past conduct. Theft is a crime involving dishonesty, so a person who has been convicted of theft, even as a misdemeanor, is typically disqualified from serving on a jury to protect the integrity of the juror pool. In many jurisdictions, this disqualification also extends to someone who is currently under indictment or accused of theft, since the trial process has not resolved the issue yet. That’s why the statement is considered correct: a person who has been accused of or convicted of misdemeanor theft may not be a juror. The other options would imply time-based or case-type exceptions that aren’t generally applied in this rule, so they don’t fit the standard understanding.