Juries are a crucial and irreplaceable part of the American justice system. The jury system has been around for hundreds of years. Our founding fathers viewed jury service as a critical part of democracy and self government. Twelve ordinary citizens make up the jury and will form a decision about the case. The jury system is still needed in the twenty-first century because it ensures the accused gets a fair trial and it promotes civic participation. The goal of the American Justice system is to remain unbiased. One way we can achieve unbiased justice is through the jury system. When you are selected for jury service, you must plead to only judge the case based on information presented in court. Judges also appoint jurors who have not formed or expressed opinions about the case (document f). …show more content…
The framers of the Constitution saw jury service as a pivotal part of self government (document c) . Jury service is fundamental in maintaining self government because it lets citizens decide the outcome of a case. Citizens selected to partake in jury service benefit because they get oversight into the judicial process (document c). Jury service is essential to the American justice system because the jury must agree on the facts. For instance, the 2008 Casey Anthony trial. In 2008, the murder of two-year old Caylee Anthony shocked the country. Arrested and put on trial for her murder was her mother Casey Anthony. Many people believed that she was guilty, and they were appalled when the jury found her not guilty. The jurors used the information presented to make their decision. As opposed to going with what everyone else believed (document
The jury system of a trial is an essential element of the democratic process. It attempts to secure fairness in the justice system. Traditionally, the jury system has been viewed as a cornerstone of common law procedure. However, the use of the system of trial by jury is on the decline. Today, its use differs, depending on whether (a) it is a civil or criminal matter, and (b) in criminal matters, whether it is a summary or an indictable offence.
Every day people are convicted of crimes or arrested for other reasons. Once they are convicted they are summoned to court, this begins the jury process. Citizens are randomly chosen to serve on jury duty. The citizens on the jury will use the jury system to determine if the person being accused is guilty or innocent. Trials can become very long or they can be short it just depends on the topic and how long it takes to decide on what the consequences will be. The jury system is the main trial and the main decision of whether or not someone is right or wrong.
Also it promotes civic virtue and an opportunity for democratic selfgovernment. Document C Analysis • 4. By serving on a jury • 5. This document argues strongly for the civic and democratic values of juries and jury service. The jury system benefits those who serve, those whose cases appear before it, and democracy itself.
The American jury system is no longer reliable. Those on the American jury system usually base their decision on opinions rather than facts. Ordinary citizens do not have the a full understanding of the law. The majority of the jury is easily influenced like the image of the convicted can influence the juror. Jury duty is mandatory not a choice, it is a person's choice that is not their own.
The jury system has been used in the criminal trial since the Constitution stated “the trial on indictment of any offence against any law of the Commonwealth shall be by jury.”
Based on the United States Constitution, all citizens have the right to a “Trial by Jury,” which is a legal proceeding in which a jury makes a decision in order to direct the actions of a judge. A jury pool is randomly selected first, and then the potential jurors are notified. After, “Voir Dire,” or jury selection, occurs where twelve people are chosen for jury duty.
There are certain aspects of the United States’ government that seem to be at the core of ensuring democracy for all citizens. These ideas include representative leaders like the President, or the bicameral legislature. Similarly, the jury system is another structure of the government that many people hold close to their hearts. Although it seems like the ultimate way that the citizens can self-govern, is the jury system really the best way to reach a verdict in civil and/or criminal cases? The bottom line is that the jury system is an outdated structure. Specifically, bench trials, or trials decided only by a judge, are much more effective than jury trials because judges are more educated, less susceptible to popular influence, and are not
Juries allow and force the public to have a personal knowledge of court proceedings, protect against the bias of a single person, and provide the public with certainty that there is not corruption in our judicial system. No human system of justice is perfect, but I believe that what Benjamin Franklin said regarding the Constitution also applies to our jury system, “It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does” (Benjamin Franklin to the Federal Convention).
“The Jury Selection Process” is a research paper that reviews the jury selection process in detail. First we will review the stages of the criminal trail and go in depth with the jury selection process. The paper will demonstrate why the jury selection process is necessary for the United States as well as its patrons. The paper will also provide a break down of advantages and disadvantages on the jury selection process. In addition to the information listed above, we will review some large profile court cases and its jury selection process. This will determine just how detailed and challenging the process can prove to
Canada’s justice system has several aspects of the justice system yet many of them are overlooked and ignored. For example, lawyers are a major aspect of the system that is constantly talked about but when it comes to jury duty all is silent. Why don’t people view jury duty as an important part of our justice system? After all they are the ones that decide the verdict of the case. Our society nowadays is very fast paced and not many people have time for anything out of their regular routine. For them jury duty is a burden. Jury duty is just one of many ways that a citizen can carry out their civic duties. A jury enables those who have been charged with a criminal offence to be tried by a group of citizens. The purpose of jury duty is to allow for participation of citizens to be active in the juridical system.
Jury duty is very important due because you’re helping the government come to an important decision. It was invented by our founding fathers as the final checks and balances of the United States justice system. U.S. citizens work in tandem with the judge and their fellow jury members to execute an honest and fair trial to decide the fate of the defendant. “The protection of our rights and liberties is largely achieved through the teamwork of judge and jury who, working together in a common effort, put into practice the
Fundamental to the American adjudicatory process is a jury trial. A jury has been described as a convention of a sworn body of people with the aim
Jury duty is a constitutional and fundamental right guaranteed to American citizens. Jury service is a way for citizens to directly participate in the judicial system. Jury duty and jury trials have been around for so long that people take it for granted. The jury was one of the factors that caused the American Revolution because the English common law system did not allow alleged criminals to have the sixth amendment rights that the United States has today. In fact, The Declaration of Independence charged that King George III deprived the colonists of a trial by jury (United States Federal Judicial Center, n.d). The Founding Fathers of the United States established the role of the jury and the right to trial by jury in most criminal and civil cases in the Constitution but that clearly cannot be fulfilled unless there are people serving on a jury.
Juries provide a public opinion which helps show what the public would think about the case and weather the accused is guilty or not guilty.
The right to a trial by jury is a core element of the United States Criminal Justice System. This right is guaranteed to all citizens by the highest law of the land: The United States Constitution. But are juries truly an effective means of securing justice? The movie 12 Angry Men provides commentary on this question with its portrayal of twelve jurors deliberating over a murder case. The jury initially seems bound to condemn the defendant, a young man of nineteen years, to the electric chair, but a single man, Juror no. 8 descents against the majority. Over the course of the film, tensions rise, and after much debate Juror no. 8 manages to convince the other eleven jurors to eventually vote not guilty. Through their debates and casual side conversations, we are shown the role of personal biases and group manipulation tactics that can impede with objective analysis and ultimately the attainment of justice. Thus, the Movie 12 Angry Men mostly serves to challenge the jury system as a means of securing justice by demonstrating the harmful effects of personal biases, the lack of dedication to the system, and the potential for manipulative tactics.