America's Jury System

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THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AMERICA'S JURY SYSTEM Eighteen out of one-hundred people are summoned for jury duty each year. Each jury member a normal person whose decisions are influenced by the world’s culture and affected by their busy schedules. Therefore, Americas jury systems are no longer effective in the twenty-first century, as a result of outside opinions, beliefs, and events taking place in our world. First, jury members in today's society don't have time to recall for jury duty. In fact, jury duty is often dreaded or avoided among Americans. For instance, Peg Coles quote in the article “Jury duty-My Day in Court” she states,“When I received the summons to report jury duty, my reaction was predictable. Although …show more content…

Not knowing whether they are educated can really make or break an argument. Similarly, many people still believe in the sixth amendment: “In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law.” Is this amendment still valid in today's society? Is a trial by jury still fair and speedy? With the access to technology we have discussing the matters of a case to others not involved is almost impossible. Also, a jury member's term of service lasts two days or more on average depending on the case at hand. If the jury does not reach a verdict a jury's term of service may become extended till a verdict is agreed on. In conclusion, America’s jury system has become more and more distorted throughout the years, and is in need of several changes such as qualifications of jury members, and their prior experience or knowledge of the courtroom. As William T. Pizzi stated, “A strong jury system has to place a high priority on truth and work hard to achieve a goal”(“The Jury System