You, the Voter

2017 David A. Garfinkel Essay Scholarship

The 2017 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 2016 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):

• Rights, Responsibilities, and Duties of Citizenship: 12.G3b
• Political and Civic Participation: 12.G4a, 12.G4b, 12.G4d

Below is a list of the 2017 resources in a searchable table. Search by theme of resource: winning the right to vote, barriers to voting, and election district boundaries.