NCJ Number
133244
Journal
American University Law Review Volume: 40 Issue: 2 Dated: (Winter 1991) Pages: complete issue
Editor(s)
G S Moohr
Date Published
1991
Length
1002 pages
Annotation
These proceedings of an Annenberg Program Conference, "Selecting Impartial Juries," present the dialogue among the participant legal practitioners, social scientists, and the media on the subject of juries in an age of mass media.
Abstract
Topics covered in these proceedings include: the quest for jury impartiality; current judicial practice, legal issues, and existing remedies; the roles of juries and the press in the modern judicial system; the impact of television on the jury system; the effectiveness of voir dire in criminal cases with prejudicial pretrial publicity; citizen understanding of difficult issues; the behavior of judges and juries; the ways drug war fervor threatens the right to a fair trial; international drug cartels; and the pattern of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) before and after the Supreme Court formulated a test in H.J. Inc. to determine the existence of a RICO pattern of racketeering. Disagreement exists as to what balance should be struck among the right of defendants to a fair trial, the right of citizens to receive information through the media, and the goal that the judicial system be perceived as reaching fair decisions. There also is disagreement as to whether the judicial system can realize balance in an age of mass media.