In jury selection, a peremptory challenge is...

• A. A challenge that must be based on a documented reason.
• B. A request during jury selection that a potential juror be removed, which does not need to be supported by a specific reason (though it cannot be based on race or gender).
• C. A motion to suppress evidence.
• D. An automatic alternation of jurors.

Answer: (B)

Peremptory challenges let attorneys remove a potential juror during jury selection without having to provide a reason. This discretionary strike contrasts with challenges for cause, which require a stated basis showing the juror cannot be impartial. The important nuance is that while a reason isn’t required, these strikes cannot be used to discriminate on the basis of race or gender. The other options describe scenarios that aren’t what peremptory challenges are: requiring a documented reason aligns with challenges for cause, suppressing evidence is a separate procedure, and automatic alternation of jurors isn’t what peremptory challenges do.