These instructions are to be used by the trial judge at the time of voir dire. Their purpose is to acquaint prospective jurors with what is expected of them and to explain why the court and counsel will inquire into their backgrounds. The instructions also serve as a guide to the trial judge in questioning the jury panel prior to questioning by counsel. They need not be reduced to writing and distributed to the jury along with the other instructions in the case.

The Commission does not claim originality for the instructions, nor the language. It has relied heavily upon instructions used in Oklahoma and instructions prepared by the Ohio and West Virginia Jury Instruction Committees. Credit should also be given to R. McBride, The Art of Instructing the Jury (1979).