The American Justice System
An ACT Research Project
Ideas? What is your
interest?
The
jury/justice system itself?
Particular
cases? Brown vs.
The Board of Education. Byron De La Beckwith finally convicted 30 years
after
killing Medgar Evers? Women’s suffrage? Particular issues? Civil
rights? Affirmative action?
Insurance trials? Tobacco? Fairness in court? White collar vs.
blue collar crime—are defendants treated differently? Jury reform?
Professional
jury consultants? Wealth, race, celebrity—do these affect justice? What
groups are in prison? Can this be connected to
the justice system? Particular laws? DUI? Three Strikes? The Center for Individual Rights
CIR successfully represented applicants to the University of Texas Law School who had been denied admission under a school program that granted substantial racial preferences to members of preferred minority groups.
Citizens for Judicial Accountability
A portrait of America and its troubled justice system in the twilight of the twentieth century. Author Gerry Spence writes about judges as follows on the linked page.
Fighting for Justice Through Jury Trials
"As important as the judge may be, the jurors decide liability, civil remedies, and, at times, criminal sentencing. Awesome power is placed in the hands of these citizen judges, many of whom have never even sat on a jury before, and none who have been formally trained for the role."
Labor and Employment Cases
"The number of civil rights-based employment cases filed in federal court against private companies more than tripled from 6,936 in 1990 to 21,540 in 1998, according to a study released by the U.S. Department of Justice."
Jury System on Trial
"Did the jury in the OJ Simpson case reach a just decision? In their 9-month ordeal were the jurors treated more like hostages than partners in the justice system? For the 4-5 million people called for jury duty in the next year -- Phil Duncan reports the legal profession is moving to improve the jury system to ensure justice is served in every case." (American Bar Association)
Fairness.com—Jury System
Tons of links here!
Courts Historic and Famous Trials
A collection of links to information resources on the most famous trials in history.
Juries and Justice
This article raises the questions: Has our criminal justice system spun out of control? With the controversies surrounding the au pair Louise Woodward, O.J. Simpson, Rodney King, the Menendez brothers, and other well-publicized decisions, the system seems to "get it wrong" too often. Can't we do better?
The American Jury System
The author of this book review "makes the case for a renewed appreciation of the jury system in the United States and he does so with an argument that provides comprehensiveness, calmness, and clarity."
The Jury: Disorder in the American Courts
This magazine article explores and examines the problems and promises jury system.
Celebrating 200 Years of Justice by the People
This year more than 5 million American citizens will be called to service on a jury in their community.This page explains what that means.
Future of the
American Jury
This section of "The American
Jury" provides resources and information
about the future of the jury system-its problems and its promise.
Links selected by Ms. Persson, CHS/ACT English Teacher.
Page created by the CHS Librarian on 9-28-04.