Jury System Dbq Essay

Our jury system stretches all the way back in England hundreds of years ago. Whenever a crime was committed in a community, a judge and his or her jury would come together to put the accused on trial. The judge served more as the legal expert over the trial. However, the jury was made up of twelve men who lived in the area that the crime was committed. These ordinary citizens were the ones that decided the verdict of the case. Some may argue that this is an old age idea that doesn’t work with today’s society. However, the jury system is still very effective today. As soon as you receive your driver’s license you are in the drawing to be on a jury. There is a pool of people selected to come participate on the jury, but slowly they are cut down

During a Bench Trial, the judge decides what the verdict is and his or her opinion is the only one that matters. However, a Jury Trial uses the opinion of twelve ordinary citizens. Just based on the fact that more people are deciding the verdict makes it more just. One person, the judge, may overlook a small detail. Consequently, the case could have a totally different result if that detail was not overlooked. In 2010 there were 2,352 Jury Trials and 394 Bench Trials. (Document A, 289) Furthermore, 2,066 of the accused during Jury trials were convicted, while as only 257 were found guilty during the Bench Trials. (Document A, 289) This leads some people to think that the Jury was filled with people who jumped to conclusions based on how the accused looked or had an emotional connection with the victim. I believe that the percentage of convicted compared to the acquitted is higher in Jury Trials because they had twelve sets of eyes going over the same case and were able to talk through it with each other. This allows them to make the most accurate decision that they could with the information

Consequently, people feel like they are contributing to the country and also have a sense of self-government. “The role of jury service in promoting self-governance and civic participation is hardly an accident. The framers of the United States Constitution viewed Jury service as a critically important feature of self-governance and enshrined the right to serve on juries in the Seventh Amendment.” (Document C, 293) According to the source, titled Jury Service as an Invitation to Citizenship the jury system highly encourages civic participation, which benefits all citizens old enough to vote. “Observers of the American jury system have remarked on its ability to elevate ordinary citizens into self-governors.” (Document C, 293) Many people complain about the amount of government control that there is in America. This is one of the things that gives us a say in our government. This allows us to govern ourselves and work our hardest to choose the correct verdict for the case. “In theory, elections play a similar role in ensuring “the people’s ultimate control in the legislative and executive branches”…” (Document C, 293) Giving away our right to participate on a jury is like giving up our right to vote. Voting allows us to have a say in the executive and legislative branches, which is something highly valued by