Jury Duty—Reclaiming Your Political Power and Taking Responsibility

In the 1960s, the US Supreme Court affirmed an individual's right to a jury trial in criminal cases. Singer, (Dickson Poon School of Law, King's College London), who is also a member of the State Bar of California, argues that the function of the costly jury system to safeguard against arbitrary state power and injustice is increasingly being obstructed by little-known judicial practices. In a balanced treatment, he addresses many Americans' distrust of this system, its origins in English common law, political roles, and arguments for and against them. The bibliography includes lists of statutes and judicial decisions in the US and UK. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Michael Singer, MA, PhD, JD, is professor at the School of Law at King's College London, England.