Abstract
To preserve the future of juries and jury trials, the National Center for State Courts (NCSC) convened a meeting of representatives from a broad array of justice system stakeholders as a project under the Justice for All Reauthorization Act (JFARA). To frame the stakeholder discussions, NCSC employed strategic foresight, a methodological approach designed to explore a range of possible futures of juries and jury trials within the American justice system as a vehicle for identifying critical vulnerabilities within the current jury system and proposing targeted strategies to preserve and strengthen jury trials. Critical vulnerabilities are those areas of weakness that threaten to weaken the jury system if not addressed. By focusing on these vulnerabilities, courts and other stakeholders can take proactive steps to ensure that jury trials remain a cornerstone of American democracy, providing a fair and impartial means of resolving disputes and upholding the rule of law.
The report is structured to provide an overview of the key issues facing the jury system today, followed by detailed strategies to address each of these challenges. It concludes with appendices that offer resources for stakeholders interested in further exploring the future of jury trials and outline the strategic foresight methods used in the analysis. Our goal is to offer a blueprint for preserving and enhancing the jury system, ensuring its continued relevance and effectiveness in a rapidly changing society.
This abstract has been taken from the authors' introduction.
Document Type
Report
Publication Date
12-2024
Publication Information
National Center for State Courts (December 2024)
Repository Citation
Hannaford-Agor, Paula; Forbush, Hope; Hamilton, Miriam; Johnson, Jawwaad; and Moffett, Morgan, "Preserving the Future of Juries and Jury Trials" (2024). Faculty Publications. 2368.
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/facpubs/2368