As stated in our bill of rights, in the constitution of the United States of America, our sixth amendment right is as follows: "In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense
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Our current process is to select a jury of six to twelve people from a jury pool. Currently this potential jury pool is taken from the tax register, motor vehicle records or voter registrations lists of the county or municipality in which the case is to adjudicated (Schmalleger, 2012, p. 231). I like this process it appears has worked so far for America. Jury duty is responsibility of U.S. citizenship. All citizens must serve unless they are juveniles or can prove to a Judge that they should be excused. Primary rules concerning excusal typically involved those employed in emergency service occupations, doctors, medics, soldiers. You can't serve on a jury if you are a non-citizen, a convicted felon or have served on a jury within the last two years (Schmalleger, 2012, p. 231).
The size of jury varies from state to state and depends on the type of case that is at trial. In civil cases, in courts of limited jurisdiction, the standard size in many jurisdictions is becoming six, which can be increased at the request of both parties. In misdemeanor cases there are occasionally fewer than twelve jurors, but in serious criminal cases twelve jurors is typically the standard. The requirement that juries are unanimous in their decision is also changing. In misdemeanor and civil cases particularly, states often provide for verdicts based on the agreement of three-fourths or five-sixths of the jurors.
