YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO A TRIAL BY JURY

Studies indicate that judges convict at least 20% more often than juries. Juries are not calloused or insensitive to ‘reasonable doubt’. Unlike judges, juries have no favorite attorney to reward, nor do they kowtow to the prosecution. Unlike judges, juries are not convinced that everyone is guilty. After a difficult trial several years ago in a small county surrounding my own county of practice, where the jury was kind enough to return a ‘not guilty’ verdict for my client, the judge and his staff were heard bemoaning the jury’s verdict with comments like “’we’ lost one!”. I guess in that county ‘we’ is the prosecution and the judge, teammates against the defendant. There is simply no substitute for a jury trial when a genuine issue of fact exists. Do not give up your jury trial right lightly.

Hope this helps – 🙂

Let me add this, also:

From www.personl.psu/ed/faculty/

JuryNullification:

Juries originally were introduced into England way back when to protect the individual from the tyranny of the government.

It’s the same now:

In recent times, the courts have tried to erode the nullification powers of juries. Particular impetus for this was given by the fact that all-white juries in the southern states refused to convict whites of crimes against blacks. As a result there is a practice of judges to incorrectly instruct the jury that the judge determines the law, and that the jury is limited to determining the facts. Such an instruction defeats the purpose of the jury, which is to protect the defendant from the tyranny of the state. Judges or expert witnesses can determine the facts better than juries can. The purpose of the jury is to protect the defendant from the tyranny of the law.

Contents

In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

It gives you the option of having your case decided by a group of 12, rather than just one person. And your legal counsel can help make up that jury (most often looking for a jury of your peers).

Many people feel uncomfortable with their fates being determined by just one person (like a judge or magistrate), and would rather take their chances with more people involved.