Explain why it is so important that juries reach a unanimous verdict.

What will be an ideal response?


The jury serves as the conscience of the community and speaks for society in considering a
defendant’s fate. It is important that efforts be made to ensure that the jury represents the community for
which it is speaking. One of the primary questions asked in favor of unanimity is: If all members of the
jury who represent various aspects of the community are not persuaded by the facts presented at trial to
reach a certain verdict, is it appropriate to ignore the minority opinion and allow a non-unanimous
verdict? The idea that there is still reasonable doubt within the jury is a significant reason that a
unanimous requirement is important. Additionally, would accepting non-unanimous verdicts encourage
the majority of jurors to ignore or discount the input of the minority? If the answer is yes, then having
non-unanimous verdicts would hinder the jury’s representation of the community as a whole.

Criminal Justice

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