16 Sept 2024
The right to demand a jury trial is fundamental to U.S. democracy. It provides citizens a voice in the judiciary, educates jurors on the justice system, and provides defendants with access to due process, and produces fairer case outcomes. Restricting a right to demand a jury trial shifts power to prosecutors to force defendants to take plea deals and exposes individuals to lifetime collateral consequences they could have avoided.
Most states provide a right to a jury trial in all criminal prosecutions in the first instance. DC is one of 10 jurisdictions that has reduced the number of jury-demandable criminal offenses to the constitutional minimum. This memo provides a basis as to why DC should allow the right to a jury for all cases carrying jail time, reduce prosecutions of non-violent misdemeanor offenses, and provide more oversight over plea deals.
LFAA is not a law firm and does not provide legal services or referrals. The contents of this resource do not constitute legal advice and the user of this resource agrees that no attorney-client relationship is being formed between the user and any person or entity, including LFAA and the lawyers or law firms that drafted the resource. LFAA makes no representation regarding the accuracy of any information included in this resource.
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