Juries

3 Credit Hours

The jury is often a focus of vigorous popular debate - both a cultural icon and popular scapegoat. The jury has also received considerable attention from legal scholars and social scientists. We will look closely at cases and at archival, interview, and simulation research, as well as a study of actual jury deliberations to examine jury behavior and the role played by the jury in the American legal system. Among the topics we will discuss are: the effects of attempts to channel and control the jury; reactions of the jury to the evidence and the law, including jury nullification and comprehension of complex testimony and legal instructions; the role of deliberations; changes in the jury over time; composition of the jury, including qualification and challenges; the structure of the jury, including jury size and decision rules; a comparison of the jury with its chief alternative, the professional legally-trained judge; and recent innovations in the conduct of jury trials.