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What Is 12 Angry Men Flawed

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The flawed justice system of the United States

Have you ever pondered the issues with the American justice system? Twelve Angry Men depicts factors that negatively affect the fairness of the American justice system. Reginald Rose uses Twelve Angry Men as a commentary on the unfairness of the American justice system, notice the actions of jurors 3, 2, and 10.

The jury in Twelve Angry Men was considerably conflicted and consisted of inadequate jurors. A good example of this is juror 3’s eagerness to vote as quickly as possible. “All right, who did it? What idiot changed his vote,” inquired juror 3. (Rose, 27). The above quote proves my thesis as it is depicting juror 3’s annoyance with the necessary continuation of the trial. While this may …show more content…

These jurors may hold racial bias. A good example of this is juror 10’s clear mistrust of African American individuals. “Look, you know how these people lie. I don’t have to tell you. They don’t know what the truth is,” said juror 10. (Rose, 59). This quote clearly exposes juror 10’s bias against the race of the defendant, notice the use of the word “they”. While this may show that bias is a problem, bias is far from the only problem.

Another problem is suggestibility. Certain jurors can be easily swayed. A good example of this is juror 2 promptly adopting the opinions of the other jurors without much reason. “Oh. Well… I just think he’s guilty. I thought it was obvious. I mean that nobody proved otherwise,” said juror 2. (Rose, 17&18). This quote shows juror 2’s suggestibility as juror 2 provides no reason for his verdict other than the fact that the other jurors voted guilty.

While there is no single source for the flaws in the American justice system, the American justice system is certainly flawed. Among these flaws are personal bias, a disregard for human life, and suggestibility. Reginald Rose’s Twelve Angry Men depicts the flaws of the American justice system notably well. And while no individual can easily change a broken system, a large group of people can push for change. Every individual counts. Even

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Juror number three states “what’s the matter with you guys? You all know he’s guilty! He’s got to burn! You’re letting him slip through your fingers!(Rose 1957). This shows the reader that the bias of the jurors was solely based on the racist thoughts they had pretrial.

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Jurors should not know anything about a specific case and not follow public affairs and read the news (Doc F). When a person is selected to be part of a jury, they have to say an oath stating that they will not use their emotions to determine the verdict of a trial. If a juror is caught using their emotions, they will be fined for a crime called perjury. Since there are twelve people in a jury, there is a variation of opinions when the jury decides a verdict. But, a judge is more professional and knows how to only use the evidence provided and be less biased.

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Juror #3 and Juror #10 are prime examples of this. During the story’s second act, the jury votes once again, resulting in a six to six split. Juror #10 is irate over that, exclaiming that, “I’m sick and tired of facts” (Rose 76). Juror #10 was so blinded by his prejudice and self-imposed obligation to vote guilty that he is, to his own admission, actively ignoring the facts of the case. By this point in the story, there has been more than enough reasonable doubt fostered that at least five jurors have changed their minds.

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