2.5 Importance of Juries in Civics

Juries are necessary in all cases both civil and criminal?

• True

• False

A defendant is someone who:

• Is the one making the complaint in a criminal case.

• The lawyer trying to prove that someone is guilty of a crime.

• Is someone who is accused of a crime/civil action.

• The lawyer trying to prevent someone from going to jail for a crime.

A petit jury is a jury that is:

• A jury that hears a case in court and decides if someone is innocent or guilty of a crime.

• A jury that is made up of 6 members and decides if a person followed or broke a contract.

• A jury made up of alternate jurors who only serve if members of the trial jury are sick.

• The largest of all juries with the task of deciding if there is enough evidence to bring a case to court.

A civil jury must decide if someone did or did not follow through on a contract they entered on the bases of what criteria:

• Look at the evidence and decide beyond a reasonable doubt.

• Look at the evidence and decide if, more often than not, the person probably violated the contract.

• Look at the evidence and hold a vote which must be unanimous before the verdict can be read in court.

• Look at the evidence and decide by a majority vote if the person is guilty or not guilty of the action in question.

A grand jury is a grand jury if it:

• Meets in secret, consists of at least 16 jury members and decides if there is enough evidence to bring a case to court.

• Meets in public/court room, consists of at least 12 jurors and decides if someone is innocent or guilty of having committed a crime.

• Meets in secret, consists of 30 jury members and decides if someone is innocent or guilty of a crime.

• Meets in public, consists of at least 6 jurors and decides if someone did or did not violate a contract.

Thomas Jefferson and other founding fathers really believed in the importance of juries because:

• They decide if someone should be elected or removed from office.

• They are made up of ordinary people deciding if someone is innocent or guilt of a crime, instead of government officials doing it.

• They are made up of society's best people, like lawyers, rich business people who are best able to decide if someone is innocent or guilty of a crime.

• Juries make sure that elected officials are actually doing their job or not. If not, juries can fire them.

The whole point of juries is to try and:

• Decide if someone is guilty or not guilty of a crime!

• Decide if someone did nor did not violate a contract/

• Make society more fair by allowing ordinary people a role in deciding someone's innocence or guilt.

• Make society less fair and allow the best and brightest of us to be able to make the correct decisions rather than allowing uninformed people to do it.

When someone decides to settle their case before it goes to a trial. It is known as:

• A settlement agreement

• A plea agreement.

• A summary judgement.

• A vior dire

If a defendant decides to agree to a lesser charge in exchange for a guilty statement and a lighter sentence, this is referred to as:

• A voir dire

• A plea agreement.

• A summary judgement.

• An indictment.

When someone is being asked questions by lawyers during the jury selection process for an upcoming trial, this process is called:

• A voir dire

• A plea agreement

• Testimony of Witnesses

• A civil proceeding