The Right To A Free Trial :: essays research papers

The Right To A Free TrialOne of the most important freedoms in the American judicial system isthe right to a control panel trial. This allows a minimum of six Americans, chosen froma list of registered voters, to determine a persons guilt or innocence throughdeliberations. They have the condition to give tongue to the conscious of society as wellas interpret and judge the laws themselves. If they feel that a law isunconstitutional, evil, or even unfair they can lift it for the circumstance bydeclaring the defendant not-guilty. The power of the jury is enormous andthrough time has become more equitable by decreasing the limitations to become ajuror including race and sex. Part of the reasoning behind the right to a jurytrial is to limit government power. Although judges should be fair and just, summarize power is too strong, and could be used to aid some people while harmingothers. As someone once said, Power corrupts sometimes, but absolute powercorrupts absolutely. Many people panorama anarchy would form through the use ofa jury system, but no such thing has occurred. It has produced a tactility ofinvolvement in the judicial system and government itself. Throughout this essay,a comparison of a real jury, a simulated jury, and Hollywoods perception of ajury will be discussed. The television special, Inside the Jury Room, showed avideotaping of a real life jury as seen in a small miserable courtroom. The casewas Wisconsin v. Leroy Reed, a criminal trial for the possession of a firearm byan ex-convict. The simulated jury concerned an ex-military man who shot two law officers, killing one and seriously injuring another. The police hadbroken into his house because there was probable cause to believe he had drugs.The man shot the officers because he thought they were robbing his house. TheHollywood version, titled 12 Angry Men, revolved around a teenage boy who wasaccused of murdering his father and could possibly lose his life if form guilty.The topics of jury selection and appearance, the jurors understanding of theirsignificance, and the deliberation and verdict will be examined for the threejuries.The actual jury itself, has much bearing on how a verdict will result.Are the members compassionate? Rigid? Black? White? Rich? or Poor? All ofthese factors can influence a jury this is wherefore lawyers are so critical whenmaking their decisions. In the past, juries only admitted white males, as in 12Angry Men. Discrimination against blacks has always existed and until thefifteenth amendment was passed, and the gramps Clause, White Primaries, and