Trial by Jury, a Hallowed American Right, Is Vanishing

Re:Trial by Jury, a Hallowed American Right, Is Vanishing by zeroer on Tuesday August 09, 2016 @03:56AM (#12253205)

I'm not questioning that your lecturer said that, but in any particular case, shouldn't adding scientists and engineers be zero-sum? Must it not help one side and hurt the other?

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Re:Trial by Jury, a Hallowed American Right, Is Vanishing by jackcosgrove on Tuesday August 09, 2016 @04:14AM (#12253253)

I was told defense does not like analytical types, and prosecution acquiesces because defense will simply veto that juror. Prosecution may want analytical types but can't get them, so they pick their battles elsewhere. Likewise, if a member of your family has been to jail, or is in law enforcement, you're out. Both sides have profiles of jurors that they want and don't want. After all this elimination, you're left with people whose predilections can't be guessed, in other words they're blank slates which both sides think they can sway.

Choosing people interested in fact-finding could theoretically be zero-sum on a jury except that random people are not charged with crimes. In this same class, and it may be different now compared to 10 years ago, it was said that 90% of defendants plead out, and of the 10% of defendants who go to trial, 90% are convicted. Criminal justice resources are stretched thin, and it's in no one's interest to throw out a dragnet and haul in a bunch of iffy cases.

This lecturer also said most pleas and convictions resulted from pretty obvious evidence. It's not Atticus Finch or Perry Mason. It's not even Night Court. If a case isn't a slam dunk, the prosecution won't bring charges. So being charged is tantamount to guilt.

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Re:Trial by Jury, a Hallowed American Right, Is Vanishing by jessaustin on Tuesday August 09, 2016 @09:40AM (#12254376)

Criminal justice resources are stretched thin, and it's in no one's interest to throw out a dragnet and haul in a bunch of iffy cases.

That's a nice story. In reality, it takes more resources to solve hard cases, so they won't get solved. Instead, some random poor bastard will get charged and will plea out.

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