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U.S. Jury Reform: The Active Jury And The Adversarial Ideal, Valerie P. Hans
U.S. Jury Reform: The Active Jury And The Adversarial Ideal, Valerie P. Hans
Valerie P. Hans
In many countries, lay people participate as decision makers in legal cases. Some countries include their citizens in the justice system as lay judges or jurors, who assess cases independently. The legal systems of other nations combine lay and law-trained judges who decide cases together in mixed tribunals. The International Conference on Lay Participation in the Criminal Trial in the 21st Century provided useful contrasts among different methods of incorporating lay voices into criminal justice systems worldwide. Systems with inquisitorial methods are more likely to employ mixed courts, whereas adversarial systems more often use juries. Research presented at the Conference …
The Verdict On Juries, Valerie P. Hans, Neil Vidmar
The Verdict On Juries, Valerie P. Hans, Neil Vidmar
Valerie P. Hans
In reviewing debates and research evidence about jury trials for our book, American Juries: The Verdict (Prometheus Books, 2007), we have had the chance to reflect on the status of the jury system in the United States. High profile jury trials put the spotlight on the American practice of using its citizens as decision makers. When jury verdicts are at odds with public opinion, criticisms of the institution are common. The civil jury has been a lightning rod for those who want tort reform. This article draws together some of our reflections about the health of the jury system and …