首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
考研
The right to a trial by jury is a fundamental part of the United States legal system. It is a right firmly rooted in our democra
The right to a trial by jury is a fundamental part of the United States legal system. It is a right firmly rooted in our democra
admin
2013-06-10
37
问题
The right to a trial by jury is a fundamental part of the United States legal system. It is a right firmly rooted in our democratic tradition. The jury system provides a buffer between the complex and often inflexible legal system and the average citizen on trial. The right to be judged by a jury is a right that most Americans feel very strongly about. However, due to recent jury decisions, some critics are questioning the value of this institution.
Our jury system is by no means flawless. It is subject to constant scrutiny and debate concerning its merit and its downfalls. As is true in all institutions, juries are capable of making mistakes. Psychological studies have been done on many aspects of jury behavior. Political scientists are also intrigued by juries and the manner in which they arrive at important decisions. Although most Americans believe in the jury system, there has been considerable controversy surrounding it lately. The public has become even more concerned about this institution recently. The outcomes of the Rodney King, the O.J. Simpson, and the Menendez brothers trials in Los Angeles and the dissatisfaction that followed the jury’s decisions are three examples of instances when the effectiveness of the jury system has come under fierce attack. From the public reaction to these decisions and others like them, it is very clear that the way in which juries reach their decisions is often as important to the American people as it is to the specific person on trial. Many people feel that the average jurist is not equipped to make the kinds of decisions they are faced with. These critics’ suggestions range from restructuring the system up to tally eliminating it.
Most average Americans, I believe, feel that the right to a jury trial is a fundamental one, and its guarantees should be honored. These people would argue that laws are inflexible. They cannot deal with the individual circumstances in each case, but juries can take these into account. Still others believe that juries are favorable because they reflect the morals and values of the community they come from. Indeed, many proponents of the jury support the system because of a particular kind of jury bias, the tendency for jurors, to place justice above the law.
Opponents of the system argue that juries are uneducated in legal procedures and should not be given the type of responsibility they have traditionally had. These people also argue that juries are biased. In fact, the psychological literature provides many examples of this bias. Jurors are less likely to punish a sad or distressed defendant, as opposed to a joyful one, apparently because the defendant is already being punished emotionally. Some opponents say that although juries are instructed not to pay attention to the media, they are more easily influenced by the news than judges. Critics of the jury system also point out that juries are expensive and are often unable to reach an agreement. They argue that the decision making should be left up to the people who know the law, judges and lawyers.
In between these two extremes are those people who agree with the jury system as a whole, but feel that some changes need to be implemented to improve its effectiveness. These people suggest that juries receive instruction prior to hearing testimony. They argue that this would improve the system by providing some working legal knowledge for the jury as well as giving them an idea of what they are to listen for. Research has shown that exposing jurors to the laws involved in their decision making resulted in significantly fewer verdicts of guilty. This finding suggests that lawyers and judges should have the responsibility of insuring that the jury is adequately informed of the legal issues at hand and the laws available to handle those issues.
On the whole, though, I feel that the American guarantee of trial by jury is a valuable one. I do feel, however, that in order to improve its utility, judges and lawyers need to accept the responsibility for educating the jury on relevant legal issues.
选项
A、the jury system is unnecessarily complex and rigid
B、recent jury decisions are made against the democratic tradition
C、there is constant debate about its merit and its downfalls
D、Some juries.have made mistakes recently
答案
D
解析
细节题。第一段末句提到最近陪审团的几次裁决错误已引起批评家对这一体制提出质问。接着在第二段举例说明陪审团犯错,因此答案为D。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/ffd4777K
0
考研英语一
相关试题推荐
Intheeyesoftheauthor,conventionalopiniononthestrategicimportanceoftheGulfoilisItisgenerallybelievedthatoi
Mostofusaretaughttopayattentiontowhatissaid—thewords.Wordsdoprovideuswithsomeinformation,butmeaningsare(1
Intheeyesofthewriter,bankfailuresintheearly1930sWhichofthefollowingmaybethebesttitleforthistext?
Fromwhatyouhaveread,wouldyouexpectmannerstoimproveamongpeoplewhoIntheauthor’sview,thebestremedyforcoping
Whatcanbeinferredfromthesentence"Sometimeslifegetstobetoomuch"(Sentence4,Paragraph3)?Thebesttitleforthep
LetusaskwhatwerethepreparationandtrainingAbrahamLincolnhadfororatory,whetherpoliticalorforensic.Borninru
Eversincetheywerefirststagedin19thcenturyEurope,world’sfairshaveenabledpeoplefromaroundtheglobetovisitwondr
Accordingtothewriter,whatthesocietyexpectsofeducationistoturnoutpeoplewho______.WhichofthefollowingisNOT
AlanthoughtitisdifficulttoexplainthescenetohisfellowMarinesbecauseWecaninferfromthepassagethatyoga
Whichofthefollowingisthemaintopicofthepassage?______.Thelastsentenceofparagraph2couldbeexplainedaswhicho
随机试题
已知=________.
试述我国刑事诉讼中证明责任原则的内容。
A.圆孔B.翼下颌裂C.眶下裂D.蝶腭孔E.翼腭管翼腭间隙向内与鼻腔相通的位置是
吸湿性强,体温下不熔化而缓缓溶于体液的基质半合成脂肪酸甘油酯
下列说法正确的是()。
在热塑性工程塑料中,具有质轻、不吸水,介电性、化学稳定性、耐热性、力学性能优良等特点,但是耐光性能差,易老化、低温韧性和染色性能不好。此种塑料为()。
简述账实相符、账证相符、账账相符和账表相符各自的含义。
在幼儿园音乐教育中,教师必须准确地把握好儿童原有的基础和能力水平,并以此为依据着眼于儿童身心的全面发展。这一思想体现了学前儿童音乐教育的()。
根据下面材料回答下列小题。2008年一季度企业家信心指数与上季度相比有下降的是()。
AnyonebelievingtheglobaleconomiccrisistobeovershouldhavetakenalookaroundEuropethisweek.Desperatetorevivehis
最新回复
(
0
)