This book provides the reader with an introduction to the jury system in the United States. It provides a brief historical account of the origins of juries and compares juries in the federal versus state court systems, and a grand jury versus a trial jury. The text offers answers to the most frequently asked questions that prospective jurors and students have about the steps of jury duty, from receiving the juror summons to rendering a final verdict. Through this easy-to-digest overview, the reader will gain an appreciation for the intended purpose of the American jury and develop a better understanding of how shifting social norms, over the past 250 years, have impacted the decision-making powers granted to the jury. Each chapter features contemporary research findings about juries, learning objectives, review and discussion questions, ethical considerations, summary tables, and features focusing on news, fun facts, court decisions, and reflections from working professionals. The book is written for students the social and behavioral sciences, including criminal justice and administrative justice, law, policy and society, psychology, psychology and law, race and gender studies, political science, sociology, social work, and prelaw courses; for legal professionals and law students, who frequent courthouses and prepare legal documents, briefs, trial evidence, and defendant or victim testimonies for litigation; and, of course, this book will appeal to prospective and former jurors.

About the Author

Michael E. Antonio is Professor of Criminal Justice at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Ursinus College and his Ph.D. in Law, Policy, and Society from Northeastern University. He served as the Lead Research Scientist on the Capital Jury Project with Dr. William J. Bowers from 2001 to 2005. Some of his publications related to juries appeared in Wash. & Lee L. Rev., Boston University L. Rev., Judicature, Behavioral Sciences & the Law, and Justice System Journal.

Paula Hannaford-Agor was director of the Center for Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts from 2006 to 2025. In that capacity, she regularly conducted research and provided technical assistance and education to judges, court staff, and lawyers on the topics of jury system management and jury trial procedures. She has authored or contributed to numerous books and articles on the American jury, including Jury Trial Innovations (2nd edition, 2006), The Promise and Challenges of Jury System Technology (NCSC 2003), and Managing Notorious Trials (1998). She received her law degree and a Master of Public Policy degree from the College of William & Mary in 1995 and her Bachelor of Arts in Government & Politics from George Mason University in 1991.

Book Information
ISBN 9781041151111
Author Michael E. Antonio
Format Paperback
Page Count 250
Imprint Routledge
Publisher Taylor & Francis Ltd