The Jury System

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The right to trial by jury in the modern times originates from twelfth century England during the reign of King Henry II. This system may originate from an “ancient right for an accused to be tried only “by the lawful judgment of his equals or by the law of the land”” (Thomas). In the United States, trial by jury is mentioned in Article Three of the Constitution and the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Amendments. For many people, the jury system seems to be the fairest system and most unbiased way of determining a person’s innocence or guilt. The system is to make sure that all receive fair trial despite their race, gender, national origin, religion, political affiliation, or color. Jury service is distinct in being the only form of civic participation that is required for almost all citizens to perform today. Though as with all things this system is not perfect and still has its own consequences. The overall court system in the United States is made up of laws, statue, and codes. A case can travel through many levels of the court system until it is put to rest depending on the controversy, evidence, criticism, and so on. In the United States, the right to jury is guaranteed in all fifty states. In England and Wales, there is no modern constitutional right to trial by jury but it is the most supported in the public’s mind. Some trials are juryless and are run only by a judge like in “Judge Judy”. Jury System The jury system is split into petit and grand juries. The petit juries are for trials in civic and criminal cases. While grand juries are for a prosecutor in federal criminal cases, to present evidence to the grand jury for them to determine whether there is a "probable cause" to believe that an individual has committed a crime a... ... middle of paper ... ...sociation. American Bar Association, n.d. Web. May 2014. . Furgeson, Judge Royal. "The Jury in To Kill A Mockingbird: What Went Wrong?" Texas Bar Journal (2010): 488+. Web. May 2014. . "Jury Service." USCOURTSGOV RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. May 2014. . Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird. Columbus: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2000. Print. Thomas, Cheryl. "Are Juries Fair?" Justice. GOV.UK, Feb. 2010. Web. May 2014. . Uschan, Michael V. The Scottsboro Case. Milwaukee, WI: World Almanac Library, 2004. Print.

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