Questioning Jurors after their decision

Great Debates
21

[QUOTE=Elendil’s Heir]

I agree. The jury system has persisted in the U.S. even though it has largely been abandoned in Britain, where it originated. Something like 90% of all jury trials today are in the U.S. Peer pressure isn’t really much of an issue in jury dynamics, from what I’ve read and seen. In my experience, most jurors genuinely try to work together and to do their jobs right. Juries can make mistakes, as all human institutions tend to do, but I’m convinced they’re the best mechanism available for seeing that justice is done in most cases.
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Sorry, but you’re just dead wrong on this- in case you meant that for civil cases, there are very few jury trials (which is true, but it might be helpful to clarify it). In 99.999% of criminal trials, there will still be a jury- in fact, there is tremendous fuss at the moment over government proposals to introduce judge-only trials for very lengthy and complex fraud cases.

22

[QUOTE=Happy Clam]
Sorry, but you’re just dead wrong on this- in case you meant that for civil cases, there are very few jury trials (which is true, but it might be helpful to clarify it). In 99.999% of criminal trials, there will still be a jury- in fact, there is tremendous fuss at the moment over government proposals to introduce judge-only trials for very lengthy and complex fraud cases.
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Hmm - for civil cases, I wonder if they only count it as a jury trial if there is a verdict reached. My civil case got settled about five minutes after we got seated, and a fellow juror had a similar experience.

23

[QUOTE=Happy Clam]
Sorry, but you’re just dead wrong on this- in case you meant that for civil cases, there are very few jury trials (which is true, but it might be helpful to clarify it). In 99.999% of criminal trials, there will still be a jury- in fact, there is tremendous fuss at the moment over government proposals to introduce judge-only trials for very lengthy and complex fraud cases.
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I certainly agree that most cases in the American judicial system are resolved without jury trials. Nevertheless, the small fraction which do go to juries (both criminal and civil) comprise about 90% of all jury trials worldwide. I can’t cite this precisely, but remember it from a reputable treatise on jury practice which I read about three years ago.