Jury cases becoming few and far betweenProspective jurors are sworn in Friday by
a judge before they introduce themselves
to the court officers in Salt Lake City.(Al Hartmann/The Salt Lake Tribune)
By Elizabeth Neff
The Salt Lake Tribune
For most Americans, a chance to serve on a jury will be the closest they get to taking part in the justice system.
Yet on this Law Day, one of the cornerstones of American justice -- having disputes decided by a jury of your peers -- may be at risk of becoming a rarity. Jury trials have been on the decline in many states in the decades since Congress designated May 1 as a day to celebrate the democratic rule of law.
The National Center for State Courts in a 2003 report pointed to decreasing numbers of jury trials being used to decide both civil and criminal cases. Examining 10 states between 1993 and 2002, the report found the number of civil jury trial numbers had declined at rates between 35 and 75 percent. In 13 states, felony jury trial rates between 1976 and 2002 saw drops as large as 78 percent.
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