Jury is a group of citizens which hears the testimony in legal disputes and determines what it believes is the truth. In the United States, the law provides for three types of juries: (1) petit, (2) grand, and (3) coroner’s.
Petit juries.
A petit, or petty, jury is a trial jury and the most common form of jury. In a civil lawsuit, a petit jury decides who is at fault and how much money must be paid in damages. In a criminal trial, the jury decides whether the defendant is or is not guilty. The jury hears testimony by witnesses, then the lawyer for each side summarizes the case. In a charge to the jury, the judge explains the laws that apply. Finally, the jury discusses the case and reaches a verdict.
If the jurors are not convinced “beyond a reasonable doubt” that a defendant is guilty, they must acquit him or her–that is, return a verdict of not guilty. Traditionally, the jurors must reach a unanimous verdict. However, some states accept a specified majority vote. Until about 1970, juries consisted of 12 members and 1 or 2 alternate jurors. Today, some states use juries of as few as 6 members. A hung jury is one in which the required number of jurors cannot agree on a verdict. A new trial–with new jurors–is held in such cases.
The names of possible jurors are selected by the court from such sources as tax rolls, voting lists, and telephone directories. From the selected names, people are then chosen by lot and summoned for possible service on a jury. Before becoming a jury member, a person is questioned by the trial judge, the opposing lawyers, or both. This procedure is known as the voir dire. The attorneys may reject any person for cause. They do so by stating why a person should not serve as a juror. For example, the person may be related to someone involved in the case. The lawyers are also permitted a limited number of rejections called peremptory challenges. Lawyers need give no reason for making these challenges. But a new trial may be ordered if a judge decides that the lawyers have made their challenges solely on account of race.
The U.S. Constitution provides that jurors in a criminal trial must be neutral regarding the case. In most situations, the jurors are selected from the community where the supposed crime occurred. An accused person may choose to be tried by a judge without a jury.
Grand juries
consist of from 16 to 23 members in most states. There are two kinds of grand juries in the United States, charging and investigatory. A charging grand jury decides whether there is enough evidence to try a person suspected of a crime. If the jury finds sufficient evidence, it makes a formal accusation, called an indictment, against the person. The suspect is then tried by a petit jury. An investigatory grand jury investigates (1) suspected dishonesty of public officials and (2) possible crime, especially organized crime.
Coroner’s juries.
A coroner’s jury conducts an inquest (study) into the cause of death in cases that involve doubt. Most coroner’s juries consist of six members.
History.
During the A.D. 800’s, people in many European communities testified to a representative of the king about such matters as taxes and land boundaries. In the late 1100’s, jurors acted as witnesses and described events. By the 1700’s, jurors were judging the evidence of others.
