Jury facts for kids
A jury is a group of regular people who help make important decisions in a courtroom. They listen to all the information in a case. Their main job is to decide if someone is responsible for breaking a rule or a law. Sometimes, they also help decide what should happen next if someone is found responsible.
Normally, all members of the jury have to agree on the decision. Sometimes, a decision can still be made even if a few members don't agree. However, if the jury is clearly divided and can't agree, the result is known as a hung jury. This means the case is not decided. A member of a jury is called a juror. A juror is supposed to be fair. This means they listen to both sides of a story without deciding what they think ahead of time.
Different Kinds of Juries
In the United States, there are two main types of juries that help decide facts in a trial:
- A petit jury (also called a trial jury) is made up of 6 to 12 jurors. They listen to a case and decide if someone is responsible for breaking a law.
- A grand jury is called by a prosecutor (a lawyer who works for the government). This jury decides if there's enough reason to believe someone might have broken a law. If they think so, they issue an indictment. This means the person will likely face a trial.
Juries Around the World
In the United Kingdom, a jury usually has 12 people for cases about laws and 10 people for civil cases (or 15 people in Scotland). These people are chosen randomly. They must be British citizens and have no criminal record. People are selected from a list of voters in their local area. If chosen, they must attend jury duty.
In the United States, juries are made up of 12 regular people from the area where the trial happens. They are not part of the court system. They get a small payment for their service.
Images for kids
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An empty jury box at an American courtroom in Pershing County, Nevada
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The Jury, an 1861 painting by John Morgan of a British jury, all of whom then had to be men
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About 50 prospective jurors awaiting jury selection
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A wine jury
See also
In Spanish: Jurado para niños
