I've gotten another jury summons

[Ben Kenobi]

Honestly, juries suck. They don't really do anything to protect our rights anymore, and mostly just add a lot of randomness to the outcome of trials.

It's easy to get out of jury duty. I'm deaf so that makes me unsuitable for most trials (as there's very little to gain by having me on, and there's lots of accommodations that would have to be done, legally, to result in a fair trial). Two, just express highly controversial opinions. Lawyers, rightly or wrongly, want the muddled middle that they believe can be swayed.

[kentonio]

Honestly, juries suck. They don't really do anything to protect our rights anymore, and mostly just add a lot of randomness to the outcome of trials.

[Lorizael]

I'm afraid I'm inclined to agree with HC here. Juries are very much swayed by the wrong kinds of evidence.

[molly bloom]

I've never been selected. I'm sad.

Honestly, juries suck.

Hey Valley Girl, that's like, so totally retarded, it's heinously grody, fer shure.

[MikeH]

I've been on 2 juries, my view is that they are very good.

Also that journalistic summaries of cases aren't enough to base an opinion on what the jury did or didn't decide.

Juries in the UK are much more random than in the US though, there's no ability for barristers to question or exclude jurors, you just get the 12 you are given (assuming they don't know anyone involved in the case). It's a much cheaper/easier/better system.

[MikeH]

I've been on 2 juries, my view is that they are very good.

Also that journalistic summaries of cases aren't enough to base an opinion on what the jury did or didn't decide.

Juries in the UK are much more random than in the US though, there's no ability for barristers to question or exclude jurors, you just get the 12 you are given (assuming they don't know anyone involved in the case). It's a much cheaper/easier/better system.

[OneFootInTheGrave]

Jon Miller curse strikes again.

[Lorizael]

Also that journalistic summaries of cases aren't enough to base an opinion on what the jury did or didn't decide.

I can't recall any specific instance in which I disagreed with the ruling of a jury in some public trial. I'm basing my opposition to a jury's impartiality on what I know about human cognitive biases.

[rah]

I usually get excluded by simply stating I'm a college grad. Most defense lawyers of guilty clients don't want smart people on the jury.
The jury I did get on was after all the defense lawyers objections were used up.

As long as I was there I decided I might as well participate fully and got myself voted the leader.
It was fun and we convicted someone that really needed to be convicted.
And the trial only lasted a few hours so it wasn't bad in that regard.

I think justice is better served when the quality of juries is better.

[MikeH]

US justice system is fundamentally broken.

[rah]

I think that's a bit over generalized. No system is perfect, and I've seen it work on multiple occasions. Most cases never go to trial.

[Lorizael]

US justice system is fundamentally broken.

Well, it's not run by robo-judges, so yeah.

[MikeH]

Most cases never go to trial.

That is part of the justice system, and not necessarily a good thing.

e.g. How many people take plea bargains because they can't afford to risk being found guilty of a more serious charge, whether or not they are actually guilty?

[MikeH]

Well, it's not run by robo-judges, so yeah.

Human juries are important. The ability for juries to say "well technically according to the law they are guilty but we'll find them innocent because the law is bull****" is a great tool for progress.

[rah]

That is part of the justice system, and not necessarily a good thing.

e.g. How many people take plea bargains because they can't afford to risk being found guilty of a more serious charge, whether or not they are actually guilty?

I'd be willing to bet that most people that take plea bargains are actually guilty and the plea saves the taxpayers the cost of a trial.

And while juries can make mistakes I think they're a necessary check against corruption behind the bench.

I used to caddy for a lot of judges when I was younger and the stories they told were pretty unbelievable. When they started referring to cases like "that was a two blow job offense", it got you thinking.

Is it perfect, no. But it's better than many of the alternatives.