Can Juries Be Trusted? With so much political discourse and questioning of the court system, it’s natural to wonder whether juries can truly be trusted. The truth is, juries aren’t “picked” in the way you might imagine. Instead, both sides deselect certain jurors, leaving a panel of impartial individuals. While the process may raise questions, the jury system has remained steadfast, with lawyers, judges, and participants continuing to believe in its fairness and integrity. If you were on a jury, you'd aim to do the right thing—just like your neighbors.
There's a lot of political discourse these days, and no matter which side you’re on, you might find yourself questioning the court system. In particular, you might be wondering: Can juries really be trusted?
One important thing to understand is how juries are formed. Contrary to popular belief, we don’t actually “pick” juries. It’s not like 15 people show up at the courthouse, and we pick our favorite six to sit in judgment of your case. Instead, it works more like this: About 30 people show up at the courthouse, and each side gets to deselect four or five jurors they feel might be biased. What you’re left with is a panel of non-objectionable jurors from the original group. The first six from that panel are typically selected for the jury, along with one or two alternates.
So, can juries be trusted? From my perspective, things haven’t changed much over the last 20 years. I still believe in the jury system, and I think every lawyer who practices in court, as well as every judge working there, believes in it too. If you were called to serve on a jury, you would try to do the right thing. And I believe your neighbor would do the same.