NCJ Number
138391
Journal
ABA Journal Volume: 78 Dated: (August 1992) Pages: 48-53
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The negative reaction of the media, elected officials, and the public to the jury's verdict of not guilty in the 1992 case involving the police beating of Rodney King in Los Angeles reveals misunderstandings about the nature and function of the jury in the legal system of the United States and threatens the future role of juries.
Abstract
Our system of justice rests on the sanctity of the jury room. Jurors are supposed to judge the case solely on the evidence produced in the courtroom. However, society is not supposed to become an alternate juror, and when social and political pressures become silent partners in the jury room, justice cannot be impartial. Political influences have become apparent in other cases as well. Although some scholars argue that this characteristic is inherent in juries, others are concerned that the jury system will be weakened in the future. One judge noted that the critics of specific verdicts fail to recognize that even a wrongful acquittal is a legitimate part of the jury system, because our system of justice prefers that 10 guilty people go free than one innocent person be convicted. Photographs and detailed comments from an attorney and a police detective