Jury

Spooner, Lysander. An Essay on the Trial by Jury. Boston: Bela Marsh, 1852. 224 pp. Reprinted 2002 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 00-058811. ISBN 1-58477-156-9. Cloth. $70. One of the earliest treatises on the subject. Spooner's powerful argument for reform of the jury system holds that jurors should be drawn by lot from the whole body of citizens, and that they should be judges of law as well as of the fact in question. Spooner [1808-1887] was well known for his controversial arguments on political and legal subjects. Dictionary of American Biography IX:466-467.

In the hands of a skilled trial lawyer, the closing argument offers the courtroom's greatest dramatic possibilities. It is the advocate's last opportunity to convince the jury of their version of the "truth" before the defendant's fate is sealed. It is the art, essentially, of the storyteller. Complete with analysis and biographical profiles of the lawyers involved, this volume gathers the finales of some of the most celebrated cases in history. Included are: the climactic closes to the Nuremberg War Trials; Gerry Spence's crusade against Kerr-McGee Nuclear Power Plant after the mysterious death of Karen Silkwood; Vincent Bugliosi's successful prosecution of cult leader Charles Manson and his followers; the acquittal of John Delorean despite video evidence of his offences; and the prosecution resulting from the Mai Lai massacre.

A hapless lawyer presents his skewed view of a murder case to the jury in this hilarious, absurd, and entertaining short.

Stuart Connelly's ebook originals have been downloaded thousands of times.

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In We, the Jury, the jurors in the Scott Peterson case tell, for the first time, what life was like at the center of this sensational murder trial.

Paul Butler was an ambitious federal prosecutor, a Harvard Law grad who gave up his corporate law salary to fight the good fight - until one day he was arrested on the street and charged with a crime he didn't commit. The Volokh Conspiracy calls Butler's account of his trial ''the most riveting first chapter I have ever read.'' In a book Harvard Law professor Charles Ogletree calls ''a must read,'' Butler looks at places where ordinary citizens meet the justice system - as jurors, witnesses, and in encounters with the police - and explores what ''doing the right thing'' means in a corrupt system. Since Let's Get Free's publication, Butler has become the go-to person for commentary on criminal justice and race relations: he appeared on ABC News, Good Morning America, and Fox News, published op-eds in the New York Times, and other national papers, and is in demand to speak across the country. The paperback edition brings Butler's groundbreaking and highly controversial arguments - jury nullification (voting ''not guilty'' in drug cases as a form of protest), just saying ''no'' when the police request your permission to search, and refusing to work inside the system as a snitch or a prosecutor - to a whole new audience.

David Cross has tried hundreds of cases and has taught trial practice for over twenty years. This book, written in a witty and engaging style, tells you in specific detail what you need to do in order to become successful in court. David will discuss the specifics of Voir Dire; Opening Statement; Cross Examination; Evidence; Closing Argument; and numerous other specific aspects of trial practice. He will also tell you why you should forget everything you learned in law school, and ignore 90% of the advice you receive. Thousands of people have purchased this book as a part of Mr. Cross' successful course. Now, for the first time, it is offered to the general public.

This book reviews over 50 years of empirical research on civil and criminal juries and returns a verdict that strongly supports the jury system. The authors place the jury system in its historical and contemporary context giving the stories behind important trials while providing fact-based answers to critical questions. Various suggestions for improving the way juries carry out their duties. After comparing the system in various countries, it is concluded that on the whole, the jury system, despite occasional problems, is fair and democratic and an indispensable component of the judicial process.

Collects high-quality scholarship on the perennially controversial institution of trial by jury. This book provides accounts of the jury's historical development and contemporary use, as well as empirical work on jury selection, jury decision making, and jury reform.

The appropriate amount of punishment for a given crime is an issue that has been debated by scholars, philosophers and legal professionals since the beginning of civilizations. This book seeks to address this issue in all of its complexity by providing a comprehensive overview of the sentencing process in the United States.

The book begins by discussing the overall concept of punishment and then proceeds to dissect individual aspects of punishment. Topics include: the sentencing process; responsibility of the judge; disparity and discrimination in sentencing; and sentencing reform.

This book is an ideal text for introductory courses on the judicial system, criminal law, law and society. It can be an essential resource to help students understand patterns in the wide discretion and latitude given to judges when determining punishments within the framework of the United States judicial system.