Dating back at least to the time of Socrates, some early societies decided that certain disputes, such as whether a person committed a particular crime, should be heard by a group of citizens.
Several centuries later, trial by jury was introduced to England, where it became a fundamental feature of the legal system, checking the government and involving citizens in decision-making.
Juries decided whether defendants would be tried on crimes, determined whether the accused defendants were guilty, and resolved monetary disputes.
While the American colonies eventually cast off England's rule, its legal tradition of the jury persisted.
The United States Constitution instructed a grand jury to decide whether criminal cases proceeded, required a jury to try all crimes, except impeachment, and provided for juries in civil cases as well.
Yet, in the US today, grand juries often are not convened, and juries decide less than 4% of criminal cases and less than 1% of civil cases filed in court.
That's at the same time as jury systems in other countries are growing.
So what happened in the U. S. ?
Part of the story lies in how the Supreme Court has interpreted the Constitution.
It's permitted plea bargaining, which now occurs in almost every criminal case.
