Jury System Gets Favorable Verdict

To celebrate its 10th anniversary, the A&E; network’s “American Justice” puts the jury system on trial. Like jury duty itself, the two-hour program, “We, the Jury” (tonight at 9), can be tedious--but also rewarding for those who pay attention.

Host Bill Kurtis looks back at a tumultuous decade in U.S. justice. Controversial outcomes involving O.J. Simpson, the Menendez brothers and other famous cases have raised questions about whether today’s juries are up to the task or a relic from simpler times.

Experts and former jurors weigh in, but oddly, one case that helped spark this debate, the first trial of four police officers in the Rodney King beating, gets barely a mention. Many of the show’s supposed insights sound familiar--for instance, juror demographics can be pivotal to the verdict.

But some of the juror interviews might bolster your faith in the system. The trial of Dana Ewell, accused of slaying his wealthy Fresno family, hinged on a complex timeline that was presented out of sequence. Foreman Mike Elder avoided an early vote, following a hunch that fostered deliberations rather than committing anyone to a public stance. Jurors rebuilt the timeline in chronological order. After 11 days, Ewell and his co-defendant were convicted.

The jury system’s ultimate acquittal comes as no shock. As author Valerie Hans says, “Most of the time, juries get it right.”

Kurtis also says the system is being improved. Seeking more participation and more diverse panels, states are shifting to the one-day-or-one-trial format and granting fewer exemptions. Some judges are even speaking to juries in plain English instead of legalese.

If all this sounds like slow going, take a cue from the jury waiting room and bring a book, just in case.