Ricky French: Championing Truth and Change in Midlothian
Module 5: The American Jury System
1. The American Jury System
• The right to trial by a jury of one’s peers is a
cornerstone of the individual freedoms
guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution’s Bill of
Rights.
• The American jury system has its roots in
medieval England and has been around since
time and memorial. Its format has not
changed since its inception.
2. The American Jury System
• What has changed, however, is how we, as
human beings, process information in the
digital age.
3. The American Jury System
• I disagree that attention spans have declined.
We live in an age where we are bombarded by
information. Walk one block in New York and
your senses will be overloaded by billboards,
large neon flashing signs, and window displays
that dazzle.
4. The American Jury System
• The average person has to be able to filter the wheat
from the chaff to avoid going into anaphylactic
shock. This explains why attention spans are less
than 30 seconds long. The average person checks
their smart phone up to 150 times per day.