Law Professor: Agreement in Jury Trials Shows Seriousness of Task
December 22, 2015
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Commenting on the mistrial of Officer William G. Porter, University of Baltimore School of Law Associate Professor Amy Dillard notes that the centuries-old idea of unanimity in jury trials is an indicator of the seriousness of the task at hand—determining whether someone is guilty or not guilty.
"Unanimity gave the assurance in criminal cases of proof beyond a reasonable doubt and the jury was speaking the mind of the populace at large," Dillard says.
She points to the play, 12 Angry Men, as an example of jurors' efforts in determining whether the prosecution or the defense should triumph.
..."What you see in [the play] is the holdout for not guilty ultimately over time turns the tide. The idea is that the people who are holding out are holding out for a reason, not because of a bias or hard-headedness or a personality disorder."
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Learn more about Prof. Dillard.