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Period: 500 to Sep 1, 1200
The Medieval Jury
The Anglo-Saxon kings who ruled Englan from the 6th to the 11th centuries used legal measures that could have provided possible models for the US. -
Period: Sep 24, 1154 to Sep 24, 1189
The Twelve Men
King Henry created legal actions to end disputes over land and inheritances, these actions were called assizes. Twelve of the neighborhoods "free and lawful men" were assembled to state under oath to tell who was the real owner of the preoperty or heir. -
First Formal Grand Jury
The first formal grand jury was established by the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635. -
First Court
First assembly of the United States Supreme Court at the Merchants exchange building NY
John Jay being appointed as Chief Justice -
7th Amendment
In Suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury shall be otherwise re–examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. -
First African Americans
The first African Americans to have been in a jury may have been two who sat in Worchester, Massachucetts, in 1860. -
Women Jurors
In 1870 Wyoming became the first state/territory to allow women to serve as jurors -
All Women Jurors
By 1973 all 50 states permitted women jurors, but 19 provided them exemptions not availablle to men -
United States vs Heicklen
Julian Heicklen was a jury nullification advocate who would stand outside of court houses holding a "jury info" sign and giving anyone who approached him an explanation on jury nullification. Those who are advocates of jury nullification believe that the jurors should be able to use their power to change the law by refusing to convict a defendant. Heicklen was charged for jury tampering, a major federal crime and was not allowed a jury. The case ended in a dismissal of indictment. -
Casey Anthony Case
Reporters are calling the results of this case far more shocking than OJ Simpsons in 1995. Casey Anthony was found "not guilty" of the first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse and aggravated manslaughter of her daughter Caylee. Carl Marlinga said the verdict was "like the OJ Simpson case - a clear failure of the jury system".
