# US legal types - why do you have a jury?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-legal-types-why-do-you-have-a-jury/566610>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [January 6, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-legal-types-why-do-you-have-a-jury/566610 "2011-01-06T14:55:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2011, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-legal-types-why-do-you-have-a-jury/566610/41 "2011-01-13T06:49:32Z")

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Speaking of the Miranda Rights, I heard somewhere, years back, that the cop only has to make sure that the suspect _knows_ his rights, not necessarily to _read_ him those rights (mind you, they routinely read them said rights as a standard CYA measure). That said, unless a court of law will readily rely on pop cultural osmosis (that is, everybody everywhere knowing that Darth Vader is Luke’s father, hope I didn’t spoil that for you) in determining the legality of a confession, I would only see this coming up for suspects who happen to be cops, lawyers, etc.

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**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\
**Post date:** [January 14, 2011, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/us-legal-types-why-do-you-have-a-jury/566610/42 "2011-01-14T01:26:45Z")

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> [@Procrustus](#):
>
> There is _something_ excluded in almost every case. Usually something relatively minor, like a remote and unrelated conviction. Sometimes it is a confession of some sort (although that’s rare…these days it’s pretty hard to get a confession excluded). Really damning evidence isn’t excluded very often. When it happens (i.e., suppression of drugs seized illegally) the case often folds and there is no trial.

I was just using that as an example. However, what I really want to know is, is it kept secret entirely?

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