A deaf or hearing impaired person may be a juror.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only with a sign language interpreter present
• D. Only in civil cases

Answer: (B)

The ability to serve on a jury hinges on being able to hear, understand, and participate in all parts of the proceedings. A person who is deaf or hard of hearing isn’t automatically disqualified, but eligibility depends on whether the court can provide effective access so they can follow testimony, understand instructions, and engage in deliberations. If there’s no reliable way to ensure that access, they may not be eligible to serve. The statement as written is false because it implies they cannot serve at all, without addressing the crucial factor of access and accommodations. In practice, accommodations like sign language interpretation or real-time captioning can enable a deaf or hard-of-hearing person to serve, and juries are summoned for both criminal and civil cases.