Trial by jury is antiquated, time-consuming and expensive. In many instances justice is not rendered. Sometimes the jurors are exposed to lawyers or witnesses who have great personalities and effective speaking ability, who can influence the way they will vote.
Many jury cases will drag on for extended periods of time, which will inconvenience all involved, including the jurors.
Is it necessary to have jury trials for petty crimes or for misdemeanors? Couldn’t these be settled by a judge or an arbitrator? Even a panel of judges or a commission of qualified lawyers could be used to dispense justice in many cases and do a much better job than a trial by jury.
Many other democratic countries have gone to methods other than trial by jury, so why can’t we do it in this country?
How many people do you know who try to get out of serving on juries, sometimes using legitimate means and sometimes using methods that are not legitimate? Quite often those who would make excellent and knowledgeable jurors get excused, thus leaving a hole in any jury potential.
It is well worth trying these alternative methods in order to save time and money. This would expedite judgments and probably render better judgments.
