The American Jury

Paper Summary:

The paper examines the works of J. Abramson in "We the Jury" and N. Finkel in "Commonsense Justice" who consider the role of the jury today. The paper explains these authors' concerns about jury selection and function in the criminal justice system in modern society. The paper also points out that neither Abramson nor Finkel determine concrete solutions that will alter the jury system appropriately. The paper is of the opinion, however, that the works are significant in that they provide evidence for society to consider regarding the future of the jury system.

From the Paper:

"What is the proper function of the jury in modern American society? Two recent books, Abramson, We the Jury (2000), and Finkel, Commonsense Justice (1998) , consider this question and various subordinate issues that arise from the role and the control of juries in the modern setting. Jeffrey Abramson is a professor of politics at Brandeis University. In We the Jury, he undertakes a comprehensive study of the institution of trial by jury in America. In this study, he ranges from the role of the jury in the colonial period to issues of the impact of racial bias in modern capital cases. He explores the complex process of modern jury selection with all of its controversies, and makes a strong case for the importance of requiring unanimous verdicts in criminal cases. He also offers an extensive and cogent discussion of the current "fully informed juror" question, better known as jury nullification."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Abramson, J. (2000). We The Jury: The Jury System and the Ideal of Democracy. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.
• Finkel, N. (1998). Commonsense Justice: Jurors Notions of the Law. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

More papers on The American Jury:

• Book Review # 133618 : "The American Jury: Abramson and Finkel"
• Term Paper # 124184 : "American Jury Trial System"
• Analytical Essay # 128025 : "Morality of the American Legal System"

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