Why do have a jurry of normal people when most of them don't know details of the law?

Question

I would trust a group of lawyers over a group of normal people but I guess it is to prevent bias.

I would say it is becuase of the jury that celebrities get off
OJ
Robert Blake

Answer 1

The judge decides questions of law, and the jury does not need to know it, because the judge will make that determination.

The jury's job is to decide questions of fact - whether this or that actually happened the way the prosecutor presents them. The jury decides whether to believe a witness, or whether to believe the events occurred as alleged. They do not need to understand law for that, if they take their charge seriously.

In fact, our country's founders deliberately WANTED it that way, because the governments they had fled were authoritarian and rigid, both interpreting the law and the facts. The founders wanted accused citizens to be tried "before a jury of their peers," that is, people like themselves who understood life as the accused lived it - not life in a glass cathedral.

This is also why the US Supreme Court has held that minorities cannot be unnecessarily struck from jury panels, especially when the accused is a minority. This is to ensure that the minority accused is tried before a jury with at least some members who know and understand life as the accused.

Answer 2

They are not supposed to know the detail of the law. A jury is a group of peers put together to decide if all the facts in the case prove that you did the crime. That is all they are supposed to do. Lawyers use the law to make an argument. Judges interpret the law to decide what evidence is permissable. Juries decide whether evidence presented proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused committed the crime.

They say if you are truly innocent, you want a bench trial. If you are guilty, but plead innocent, have a jury trial.

And, anyone who would trust a group of lawyers would probably get off with the insanity plea. The only lawyer I ever trusted was the one I hired for my divorce, and even then, that was questionable.

Answer 3

First of all we have to look at the 6th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. I will explain that to you.
U.S.Const. Amend. 6
"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed; which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense."

You, as a member of the Jury have the Right to carry a pen and paper with you to take notes, stop the trial at any time you do not understand a word or term ( especially a Latin term ), and ask the Judge for a clarification at any point during the proceedings of the Trial. The Jury not only has the duty to find the Innocence or guilt of the person charged, but also can assess the amount of punishment or award.

The Judge will not tell the Jury this, but he cannot interfere with the findings of the Jury.

The Judge cannot give instructions of any kind to the Jury. He may have a list of instructions given to the Jury, but you do not have to adhere to them. The Judge may not give any instructions to the Jury after proceedings have started.IE, "You are instructed to ignore that remark."

A person should feel very proud to serve on a Jury as it not only has the right to fulfill the Law, but to change the Law.

A Judge has only three duties in a Court. He has to keep order in the Court. He can only rule on Constitutional issues. He has to answer any questions the Jury asks or give definations to terms brought up by the Prosecution or Defense. Anything beyond that, he is overstepping his Authority under the United States Criminal Code.

A definition of Peer. A peer is someone who holds the same station in life that you do. In other words, if you would be on trial for Robbery, then a Jury of your Peers would be Robbers sitting on the Jury. What chance would you have of being convicted by a Jury of Robbers? "Assistance of counsel" means that you do not have to have an Attorney, but anybody that you trust to aid you in the proceedings.

Answer 4

did you say to prevent bias? hell half of the jurors are what is called professional jurors who hang around the court house waiting to be called for jury duty,, of course by the prosecutor, and if they don't vote for a guilty verdict the prosecutor won't select them any more,and guess what the defense can't even ask if they are pros or not,so much for our justice system, another reason why so many innocent people are in prison today,

I see none of you actually know how a trial system works, you are guilty until proven innocent contrary to what our constitution says, if we were to have a fair court system whyis it that the judges won't allow anyone from the ( fully informed jurys association address the jury before they go to the jury room? ) because the judge almost always tell you how to vote and only the strong will vote against his wishes, ask your self why,
these people want you to go by the constitution,

Answer 5

To prevent us from ever again having a society where one group of people has in their interest the removal of the right to education from the rest of us.
They know that we have a vote. They know that we will be their jury. They (whoever tries to get a monopoly on power) know that we must give those up before they can safely take control.

I like it this way, flaws and all.

Answer 6

I definitely agree with you. People on the jury are most certainly not a group "of my peers." ...lol. The jury system needs fixing. Most Americans don’t even know what the first amendment to the constitution is. Let alone more detailed laws.

Answer 7

The judge explains the law to them. As an American you have the right to be tried by your peers (the jury). Otherwise the government could appoint all the judges and then just convict everyone they want and nobody could do anything about it.

Answer 8

It is just how our Constitution is written, we must have a public, fair, speedy trial and the jury must be everyday citizens within our vicinity.

Answer 9

i was on a jury they explained the law that pertained to that case very clearly we were free to ask questions at any time.

Answer 10

opinion from the outside looking in