NCJ Number
32733
Editor(s)
R J SIMON
Date Published
1975
Length
254 pages
Annotation
THIS VOLUME PRESENTS ELEVEN ARTICLES WHICH TRACE THE ROLE OF THE JURY IN AMERICAN HISTORY, REVIEW ITS FUNCTIONING AND PERFORMANCE, AND PRESENT THE VIEWS AND OPINIONS OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE JURY SYSTEM AND TRIAL PROCESS.
Abstract
IT CONTAINS CONTRIBUTIONS BY HISTORIANS, BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS, PRACTICING ATTORNEYS, JUDGES, JOURNALISTS, LITERARY CRITICS, AND JURORS - EACH OF WHOM DESCRIBE AND EVALUATES THE JURY FROM HIS OR HER PARTICULAR VANTAGE POINT. THE VOLUME HAS THREE MAJOR SECTIONS. IN THE FIRST, A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN JURY AND ITS ROLE IN AMERICAN HISTORY IS PROVIDED. THE SECOND SECTION DESCRIBES CURRENT RESEARCH AND REVIEWS IMPORTANT PRIOR RESEARCH ON THE JURY BY BEHAVIORAL SCIENTISTS. EACH ARTICLE DESCRIBES AN ASPECT OF JUROR'S BEHAVIOR OR THE JURY SYSTEM AND SUMMARIZES MAJOR RELATED RESEARCH THAT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED ON THAT SAME ISSUE. THE RESEARCH TOPICS INCLUDE AN ANALYSES OF THE JUROR SELECTION PROCESS, THE SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY OF JURY DELIBERATIONS, THE SELECTIVE CHARACTERISTICS OF JURORS AND LITIGANTS AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON JURIES' VERDICTS, AND THE IMPACT OF PRETRIAL PUBLICITY ON JURORS' VERDICTS. IN THE FINAL SECTION, A VARIETY OF PERSPECTIVES ON THE FUNCTION AND VALUE OF THE JURY IN AMERICAN IS PROVIDED. ARTICLES WRITTEN FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF THE JUDGE, THE PRESS, THE BAR, AND THE JURY ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)