The Failure Of The Jury System In Twelve Angry Men

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Recommended: Introduction about 12 angry men movie

The movie Twelve Angry Men would have been a much shorter movie if the trial had taken place in Oregon. The 10-2 jury system has existed since 1934 in Oregon as opposed to the unanimous verdict that is required elsewhere. However, A unanimous verdict is the best option because it forces lengthy discussion, which in turn makes whatever verdict to come out, one that can be trusted by the majority of onlookers.
While some might claim that saving money overrides the need for a unanimous jury verdict, one cannot repay an innocent man back for the years lost after a wrongful conviction. Too many innocent people are in jail with the imperfect system that our government is currently using. The 10-2 system only makes this easier. Under the Oregon system, imposing the death penalty merely requires 10 of 12 jurors to agree to do so (source E). Although more resources are required to obtain a unanimous-verdict, the truth …show more content…

Though others may insist that those last few jurors that hold out their vote are just stubborn and cannot see the truth, the reality is that they see in the case in a different light. With unanimous voting, jurors are required to “spend more time in deliberation” and have “higher-quality discussions of the case” (source C). Each individual will have ample time to express their opinion and mull it over with the other jurors. Through the reasoning, the jurors will either see the holes in their theories or strengthen it so much that the others will have no choice, but to consider the opinion (source A). This also insures that the person on trial will be found guilty or not after careful consideration; beyond a reasonable doubt. Whether the crime be something sever requiring capital punishment or not, a guilty sentence can destroy an innocent man’s entire life. Therefore, long fruitful discussions should be had in all jury trials to confidently pass a guilty or not guilty

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