79
votes
Why are common people selected for jury duty?
Because it's explicitly a jury of your peers
That is, every person is entitled to have their guilt or innocence decided by people "like them" - not kings, lords or, heaven forbid, lawyers. ...
- 219k
65
votes
Accepted
Jurors not allowed to talk to each other during the trial?
Overview
The rule on whether jurors may discuss a case before closing arguments is almost always a matter of statewide law and not a decision left to a particular judge in a particular case.
There is ...
- 230k
60
votes
Should I serve jury duty when I have no respect for the judge?
If this judge is truly biased, won't the litigants be all the more glad to have a jury of their peers? You are proposing to abandon your duty to others. At trial you serve the community, not the judge....
- 1,120
51
votes
Accepted
What is the purpose of being tried by a "jury of your peers"?
The U.S. Supreme Court has explained in Duncan v. Louisiana, 391 U.S. 145, 156 (1968):
Those who wrote our constitutions knew from history
and experience that it was necessary to protect against
...
- 65.8k
39
votes
Accepted
How can Edward Snowden be denied a jury trial?
The trial at issue is a civil trial over the publication of his book Permanent Record and the non-disclosure agreement that he signed connected to his employment, see the DoJ announcement, which also ...
- 216k
39
votes
Accepted
Is a potential juror protected for what they say during jury selection?
united-states
The jury selection process (voir dire) is normally done in open court. Walter's statements would be heard by anyone present. Reporters can be present, and may choose to publish accounts, ...
- 114k
37
votes
Accepted
What is the penalty for a bad-acting juror?
united-states
This will vary somewhat by jurisdiction. But in most US states:
Bob happily blabs to the media and exposes all the other jurors and what they've said and who they are. All for some ...
- 114k
36
votes
Should I serve jury duty when I have no respect for the judge?
If you honestly feel that your personal relationship with any of he court officers will affect your ability to be impartial and unbiased in the case then you have a duty to inform the court of this. ...
- 219k
35
votes
Why are common people selected for jury duty?
Because that is the goal in common law!
The US jury system is based on picking a group of "randoms" from the street that form a jury of their peers of the accused - That is what the US ...
- 43.2k
34
votes
Accepted
In USA, is it possible to end up being called to jury duty even if you have not registered to vote?
Yes, it is possible. The requirements are (1) you are a citizen (the burden is on the prospective juror to pay attention to that requirement) and (2) the court knows that you exist and calls you up ...
- 216k
32
votes
Accepted
On American Jury Duty and Doctors' Letters to the Contrary
This will be highly dependent on the particular state, county, and city where you reside and which court summoned you.
It is of course "legitimate" for any eligible citizen to be summoned. ...
- 436
31
votes
Accepted
What is the purpose of not having jury trials for juveniles?
The government has the choice
They can prosecute the child for a crime in the adult system and the defendant then has the right to a jury, or they can refer the matter to the juvenile justice system (...
- 219k
31
votes
Accepted
Why don't people who are untruthful during jury selection get held in contempt of court?
Why don't people who are untruthful during jury selection get held in
contempt of court?
The premise of the title question is incorrect. Jurors are regularly held in contempt of court for being ...
- 230k
30
votes
Accepted
In the US are jurors actually judging guilt?
Short answer, yes, jurors will typically render a decision of guilt vs. innocence. This is pretty common in nations where the legal system is derived from British Common Law (about 2 billion people ...
- 23.1k
29
votes
Do jurors have an absolute right to acquit a defendant according to their conscience?
canada
It is a de facto power, not a right
In Hohfeldian terms, the jury's ability to nullify is a de facto power not a right (see Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld, "Some Fundamental Legal Conceptions as ...
- 65.8k
28
votes
Impeachment jury tampering
No. Several elements of the crimes defined at 18 USC 1503 and 1504 would be absent, not least of which is that the Senate isn't actually a jury but a legislative body that is only partly analogous to ...
- 38.8k
25
votes
Jury and Witness intimidation via Bible quotes
Witness intimidation? Unlikely.
I do see nothing in the statement that would amount to jury tampering. He's not standing up and yelling that he'll have the jury and everyone they have dear mowed down ...
- 43.2k
24
votes
Accepted
Why was Joe Arpaio not given a jury trial?
Some of the documents are here. As document 61 of the trial, the government motion for bench trial, argues,
There is no constitutional right to a jury trial for criminal contempt
charges ...
- 216k
23
votes
Accepted
I lost my jury summons, what can I do?
For the New York State Unified Court System, you can consult their Frequently Asked Questions at http://www.nyjuror.gov/juryQandA.shtml#Q6.
What if my summons or questionnaire is lost?
Contact ...
- 38.8k
23
votes
Are jurors instructed to not be influenced by the emotions of the witnesses?
No. Jurors generally do not receive such an instruction and it is not a rule of law or evidence. Jurors have to rule in accordance with the law, but how they judge the credibility of witnesses may be ...
- 230k
23
votes
Can the insurrection clause be applied without a conviction by jury?
Some due process is required and, whatever the initial procedure, it would be subject to judicial review. This is a link to the eight cases so far of people who have been disqualified for office under ...
- 13.2k
22
votes
If the Jury considers evidence that should be discarded in the US, what would the result be?
The jury would never hear the recording
The recording and its provenience would be provided to the prosecution who would, rightly, have issues with its admissibility. The defence and prosecution would ...
- 219k
21
votes
Accepted
Jury and Witness intimidation via Bible quotes
Where would the intimidation lie? To qualify as witness intimidation, you need to coerce someone to not cooperate with the prosecution.
Given that all witnesses are required to take an oath to tell ...
- 1,409
20
votes
Accepted
Can the insurrection clause be applied without a conviction by jury?
There is no requirement for disqualification to be the result of a jury conviction
First, there is no such requirement on the plain reading of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment (and the current Supreme ...
- 219k
20
votes
On American Jury Duty and Doctors' Letters to the Contrary
Yes. Normally, you have to appear and offer up your explanation while you are subject to cross-examination.
- 230k
19
votes
Why are common people selected for jury duty?
When the jury first began to be used in trials of criminals in England, back in the late 1100s, jury members were people from their local area who were supposed to know, either personally or by "...
- 114k
19
votes
What is the purpose of being tried by a "jury of your peers"?
Historical accident and path dependence
Specifically, in the case of the US Bill of Rights, it's that the Founding Fathers were rebels, not revolutionaries - they wanted to replace the leadership at ...
- 219k
18
votes
Accepted
Can a judge legally forbid a jury from Nullifying a verdict if they ask him about it before rendering a verdict
Can the judge flat out tell the jury that they cannot vote to nullify the verdict?
He can but this kind of "jury nullification" makes little sense and is obvious that is not possible. A ...
- 1,616
18
votes
Can a judge legally forbid a jury from Nullifying a verdict if they ask him about it before rendering a verdict
To begin with, jury nullification is not a separate act. It’s not like the jury verdict can be one of “Guilty”, “Not guilty” or “Nullified”.
Instead, a juror says something like “The guy’s pretty sus ...
- 371
18
votes
Is there any recourse if a defendant was found guilty due to an unknowingly false claim made by a juror during deliberations swaying jurors?
canada
What should have happened
Jurors will be instructed along the following lines (Model Jury Instructions, 8.4 - Outside Information):
The only information that you may consider is the evidence ...
- 65.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible