Juries

The jury is one of the cornerstones of the judicial system in the United States. Although it has varied historically, an ideal jury today consists of twelve citizens drawn from a panel representing a fair crosssection of the community. The jury's tasks are to observe the trial, to engage in deliberations behind closed doors, and to reach a verdict. The jurors have been selected to serve on the jury because they can be impartial, which means that they do not have a fixed view of the case but can decide it either way, depending on the evidence. In addition, they do not have any stake in the outcome of the case or any familial relationship with the participants in the trial. The ideal of the ...