You, the Juror

2016 David A. Garfinkel Essay Scholarship

The 2016 David A. Garfinkel Essay Scholarship topic of You, the Juror can act in the classroom as a prepared Document Based Question. It was prepared in 2015 and the resources have not been updated since that time. For more information about recent legal developments, consult national and state newspapers, legal databases, and your librarian.

Jury service has evolved since the inception of the United States. Juries are intended to provide a fair and unbiased review of evidence during trials, but there was a time when not everyone was able to serve on them. Today we have universal jury service in both criminal and civil trials, ensuring community participation in the justice system. We ask the question, What role does jury service play in our democracy?

This activity meets the following guidelines of New York State’s Common Core Social Studies Framework (2017):

• Civil Rights and Civil Liberties: 12.G2a
• Rights, Responsibilities, and Duties of Citizenship: 12.G3c

Below is a list of the 2016 resources in a searchable table. Search by theme of resource: jury selection, race and juries, women and juries, LGBT and juries, or jury history.