January 2021 Bar Bulletin
By Judge James Rogers
“We have a ... jury system which is superior to any in the world, and its efficiency is only marred by the difficulty of finding twelve men every day who don’t know anything and can’t read.” — Mark Twain
Are virtual jury trials, where the jury attends and deliberates from home, a revolutionary or evolutionary change? Are concerns that jurors at home will be distracted, be tainted or pay insufficient attention, justified?
Some perspective is useful as one engages with fears of the unknown. The jury system has evolved greatly...