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Dialogue: 0,0:00:06.08,0:00:09.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,My name is Suja Thomas and I'm a professor of law at
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.72,0:00:14.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the University of Illinois, and I studied juries for about twenty years.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:14.31,0:00:18.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The US stands out as one of the few countries in the world where juries
Dialogue: 0,0:00:18.81,0:00:24.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,decide civil disputes, and that is controversies over money.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.38,0:00:28.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But why did the US pick a jury to decide?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.38,0:00:33.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,To understand, we have to go back and look at the origins of the jury.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:33.31,0:00:38.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The jury made its way to America during British colonization in the seventeenth century.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:38.99,0:00:42.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As tensions grew leading up to the American Revolution,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:42.56,0:00:48.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the jury became an asset to the colonists. In response to British oppression,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.20,0:00:51.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,such as the prosecution of people for criticizing the government,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:51.82,0:00:55.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,juries would nullify, and that is not follow the law.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:55.96,0:00:59.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In one case, the John Peter Zenger case,
Dialogue: 0,0:00:59.30,0:01:05.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,John Peter Zenger published a piece that denounced the royal governor of New York.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:05.62,0:01:08.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Even though what he did was illegal,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:08.57,0:01:10.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the jury did not convict,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:10.52,0:01:13.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,so juries actually protected the colonies.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:13.78,0:01:17.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The problem was, the British started diverting
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.06,0:01:20.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,cases away from juries to themselves to decide.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:20.88,0:01:26.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The colonies were very upset by this and other British aggressions.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:26.30,0:01:31.62,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In response, the colonists wrote a document noting their grievances against the king.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.62,0:01:35.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This Declaration of Independence explicitly stated
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.93,0:01:40.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that the king deprived us in many cases of trial by jury.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.26,0:01:45.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,After gaining independence, the founders set out to protect the right to a jury trial.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:45.76,0:01:49.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They set forth in the Constitution that the trial of all crimes,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:49.98,0:01:51.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,except in cases of impeachment,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:51.64,0:01:53.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,shall be by jury.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:53.52,0:01:56.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there was a debate as to whether or not we should
Dialogue: 0,0:01:56.81,0:02:00.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,protect the trial by jury in civil cases.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:00.14,0:02:03.23,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Many refused to sign unless there was a promise of
Dialogue: 0,0:02:03.23,0:02:06.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a future right to a jury trial in civil cases.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:06.61,0:02:09.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The resulting Bill of Rights included
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.44,0:02:13.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the Seventh Amendment and secured the right to a jury trial in civil cases.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:13.30,0:02:16.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,If you'd like to learn more about the jury in America today,
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.61,0:02:26.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,please visit wethepeoplewethejury.com.