SOCIAL SCIENCES

Why Jury Duty Matters: A Citizen's Guide to Constitutional Action

by Andrew Guthrie Ferguson
New York Univ. Jan. 2013. 224p. photogs. bibliog. ISBN 9780814729038. pap. $16.95; ebk. ISBN 9780814729052. LAW
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Former public defender Ferguson (law, Univ. of the District of Columbia; coauthor, Youth Justice in America) offers an inspiring perspective on jury duty. Using a combination of personal narrative, political science, and American history, he moves beyond the simple argument that jury duty is a civic responsibility and something to be endured for the good of the justice system. Instead, Ferguson situates jury duty as an opportunity for citizens to exercise foundational American values such as fairness, equality, participation, deliberation, and liberty. Jury duty brings together people from different races and different classes on equal footing. He explains that through service on a jury, a person can practice skills that are valuable for citizenship.
VERDICT Ferguson presents a new kind of handbook for potential jurors. Accessible and easy to read, the book is written for the average citizen who might be called to serve on a jury.
Reviewed by Rachel Bridgewater, Portland Community Coll. Lib., OR , Jan 01, 2013
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