The Jury System

1395 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The american jury system history

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.

Show More
Related

  • The Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

    1727 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird. The purpose of this essay is to compare three very similar cases, the Scottsboro Trials, Brown v. Mississippi, and the fictional trial of Tom Robinson in Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird; and to prove why the defendant in the third trial never had a chance. Each took place in the rural South in the 1920’s and 30’s and involved the unfair conviction of young black males by all-white juries pressured by the threat of mob violence.

    Read More

  • Confessions Of A Jury Sparknotes

    1696 Words  | 4 Pages

    This chapter is mainly devoted to the jury selection process and how it is taken care

    Read More

  • Dbq Essay On The Jury System

    921 Words  | 2 Pages

    The American Jury system has been around for quite some time. It was the original idea that the framers of the constitution had wanted to have implemented as a means of trying people for their illegal acts, or for civil disputes. The jury system has stood the test of time as being very effective and useful for the justice system. Now it has come into question as to if the jury system is still the best method for trials. In the justice system there are two forms of trials, one being the standard jury trial, where 12 random members of society come together to decide the outcome of something. The other option would be to have a bench trial. In a bench trial, the judge is the only one deciding the fate of the accused. While both methods are viable

    Read More

  • The Judicial Process and Batson Case

    2726 Words  | 6 Pages

    Smith, William (1997) “Useful or Just Plain Unfair? The Debate Over Peremptories; Lawyers, Judges Spllit Over the Value of Jury Selection Method” The Legal Intelligencer, April 23: pg 1.

    Read More

  • Jurors on a Death Penalty Case

    956 Words  | 2 Pages

    As one of the seven jury deliberations documented and recorded in the ABC News television series In the Jury Room the discussions of the jurors were able to be seen throughout the United States. A transcript was also created by ABC News for the public as well. The emotions and interactions of the jurors were now capable of being portrayed to anyone interested in the interworkings of jury deliberations. The first task,...

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On 12 Angry Men

    531 Words  | 2 Pages

    First, when individuals are appointed for a jury, several individuals will do anything to not be selected for the trial. For instance, my father has conveyed he was indisposed or he could not afford to miss work. Moreover, most individuals do not perceive being a juror as an honor being as a citizen, instead they see it as a burden. A substantial influence on this position is the remuneration, because individuals are missing work to serve. On average, an individual who is selected to be a juror makes about 30 to 40 dollars a day, a fraction of when he or she is working. For this

    Read More

  • A Courtroom Comparison

    1239 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks” (Lee 304). Harper Lee is the renowned author of To Kill a Mockingbird which was inspired by the real events of the Scottsboro Trials. Throughout her novel, Lee indirectly references the case by creating characters, events, and symbols that resemble and contrast the case. These elements allow the novel to emerge with a more realistic and historic plot. In particular, the similarities and differences between Judge Horton and Judge Taylor, Victoria and Mayella, and the atmosphere of the courtroom are most prevalent. By examining these components one will be able to respect the historical features present in Harper Lee’s fictional literary phenomenon, To Kill a Mockingbird.

    Read More

  • Ethical Dilemmas in Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird

    1983 Words  | 4 Pages

    Johnson, Claudia. "The Secret Courts of Men's Hearts: Code and Law in Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird." Studies in American Fiction (1991):129-139.

    Read More

  • The History of Juries

    590 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the United States, jury trials are an important part of our court system. We rely heavily on the jury to decide the fate of the accused. We don’t give a second thought to having a jury trial now, but they were not always the ‘norm’.

    Read More

  • paper

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    The court system is composed of lawyers, judges, and juries. Their job is to ensure that everyone receives a fair trial, determine guilt or innocence, and apply sentences to guilty parties. The court system will contain one judge, and a jury of twelve citizens. The jury of the court will determine the guilt or innocence of the individual. The jury will also recommend a sentence for the crime the individual committed.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Jury Selection

    2734 Words  | 6 Pages

    The right to a trial by jury is deeply embedded in the American democratic stance. This shines through the Fifth, Sixth, and Seventh Amendments

    Read More

  • The Criminal Trial Process

    1108 Words  | 3 Pages

    A jury is a panel of citizens, selected randomly from the electoral role, whose job it is to determine guilt or innocence based on the evidence presented. The Jury Act 1977 (NSW) stipulates the purpose of juries and some of the legal aspects, such as verdicts and the right of the defence and prosecution to challenge jurors. The jury system is able to reflect the moral and ethical standards of society as members of the community ultimately decide whether the person is guilty or innocent. The creation of the Jury Amendment Act 2006 (NSW) enabled the criminal trial process to better represent the standards of society as it allowed majority verdicts of 11-1 or 10-2, which also allowed the courts to be more resource efficient. Majority verdicts still ensure that a just outcome is reached as they are only used if there is a hung jury and there has been considerable deliberation. However, the role of the media is often criticized in relation to ensuring that the jurors remain unbiased as highlighted in the media article “Independent Juries” (SMH, 2001), and the wide reporting of R v Gittany 2013 supports the arguments raised in the media article. Hence, the jury system is moderately effective in reflecting the moral and ethical standards of society, as it resource efficient and achieves just outcomes, but the influence of the media reduces the effectiveness.

    Read More

  • Essay On The History Of The Jury System

    638 Words  | 2 Pages

    Citizens of the United States are given the right to a fair trial. Over the course of the development of the American jury system, citizens are allowed to the right to meet one’s accuser, be represented by his/her peers and protection from being tried more than once on any convicted crime. The jury system has evolved from a representation of all white men to both men and women from very diverse backgrounds. This is important if one is going to be tried in his/her community of peers.

    Read More

  • The Jury and Its Role in the Courts of Trial

    1507 Words  | 4 Pages

    The jury plays a crucial role in the courts of trial. They are an integral part in the Australian justice system. The jury system brings ordinary people into the courts everyday to judge whether a case is guilty or innocent. The role of the jury varies, depending on the different cases. In Australia, the court is ran by an adversary system. In this system “..individual litigants play a central part, initiating court action and largely determining the issues in dispute” (Ellis 2013, p. 133). In this essay I will be discussing the role of the jury system and how some believe the jury is one of the most important institutions in ensuring that Australia has an effective legal system, while others disagree. I will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of a jury system.

    Read More

  • The Criminal Justice System

    1136 Words  | 3 Pages

    The criminal justice system in America is comprised of not just one but of a set of organizations and procedures that have been created by governments in order to mitigate crime and impose penalties for those people who choose to break the law. The United States has many individual criminal justice systems and each jurisdiction i.e. city, county, state, federal or tribal government or military has the ability to dictate how the system works as well as have different laws. With that being said, people in the United States rarely have contact with the criminal justice system and subsequently get much of their ideals and knowledge of what the criminal justice system is and how it works from the media, especially through entertainment television viewing. (Albany) Even though I have been to countless court hearings as a police officer, attending a jury trial as a student was different as I was able to step back and look at it through the eyes of a learner and not an agent of the government.

    Read More

More about The Jury System

Open Document