How are juries selected in the United States? What forces influence juries in making their decisions? Are some cases simply beyond the ability of juries to decide? How useful is the entire jury system? In this important and accessible book, a prominent expert on constitutional law examines these and other issues concerning the American jury system. Randolph N. Jonakait describes the historical and social pressures that have driven the development of the jury system; contrasts the American jury system to the legal process in other countries; reveals subtle changes in the popular view of juries; examines how the news media, movies, and books portray and even affect the system; and discusses the empirical data that show how juries actually operate and what influences their decisions. Jonakait endorses the jury system in both civil and criminal cases, spelling out the important social role juries play in legitimizing and affirming the American justice system.

屈文生，法學博士，華東政法大學副教授，碩士生導師。齣版專著《從詞典齣發：法律術語譯名統一與規範化的翻譯史研究》、《普通法令狀製度研究》及譯著《歐陸法律史概覽：事件，淵源，人物及運動》、《中世紀的法律與政治》、《盎格魯-美利堅法律史》、《世界上偉大的法學傢》等6部。曾在《曆史研究》、《中國翻譯》、《比較法研究》、《學術研究》等雜誌發錶論文50餘篇。主持並完成國傢社科基金項目《法律術語譯名統一與規範化研究》等。2010年被評為上海市曙光學者。

宋瑞峰，華東政法大學法學學士，意大利博洛尼亞大學法律經濟學碩士。

陸佳，華東政法大學英語學士，北京大學法律碩士。