Jury Duty

Michael E. Antonio is Professor of Criminal Justice at West Chester University in Pennsylvania. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Ursinus College and his Ph.D. in Law, Policy, and Society from Northeastern University. He served as the Lead Research Scientist on the Capital Jury Project with Dr. William J. Bowers from 2001 to 2005. Some of his publications related to juries appeared in Wash. & Lee L. Rev., Boston University L. Rev., Judicature, Behavioral Sciences & the Law, and Justice System Journal.Paula Hannaford‑Agor was director of the Center for Jury Studies at the National Center for State Courts from 2006 to 2025. In that capacity, she regularly conducted research and provided technical assistance and education to judges, court staff, and lawyers on the topics of jury system management and jury trial procedures. She has authored or contributed to numerous books and articles on the American jury, including Jury Trial Innovations (2nd edition, 2006), The Promise and Challenges of Jury System Technology (NCSC 2003), and Managing Notorious Trials (1998). She received her law degree and a Master of Public Policy degree from the College of William & Mary in 1995 and her Bachelor of Arts in Government & Politics from George Mason University in 1991.

• Part I: Purpose—Origin, Intention, and Implementation1 The Seeds of Trial by Jury2 It’s in the Constitution3 Grand Juries in Federal and State Courts4 Trial Juries in the Federal and State Court SystemsPart II: Structure—Reporting, Selecting, Instructing, and Deliberating5 Jury Eligibility and the Summons Process6 Reporting for Jury Duty and Voir Dire7 Juror Comprehension and Decion-Making8 Jury Deliberation and Trial OutcomePart III: Future—Reaction and Projection9 Verdict Rendered and the Jury Experience10 A Jury in Jeopardy