Fewer than 4% of United States criminal cases are decided by juries. A short video points to the increase in arbitration, plea bargaining, and summary judgements to explain the decline to explain the decline in jury trials.

Concepts

trials, juries, the bill of rights, due process

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Additional Tags

social studies

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Instructional Ideas

• Flip the lesson asking class members to view the video, complete the comprehension check, research some of the links out of class before returning for discussion
• Have groups research separate controversial jury decisions
• Invite a judge and/or attorneys to address the class about the jury system

Classroom Considerations

• Most appropriate for high school level government classes and/or to a study of the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Pros

• The resource includes the video, a comprehension check, links to related articles, and a discussion question

Cons

• None