Citizens to Citizens

Japan is starting a jury system in 2009, but polls show that the prospect of jury service intimidates many Japanese; other polls show that 80 percent of them don't want to be on juries. I hosted a program in Tokyo recently in which two Americans -- Michelle Arnot of New York and Judith Farrar of California -- shared their jury experiences with Japanese college students. In this excerpt the former jurors answer a student's question about how they would feel if they were called upon to judge a person accused of mass murder. A second student expresses his strong dissatisfaction with a Japanese law that will forbid citizens from discussing the deliberation process after the case is over.

Comments

[Sara Musfeldt]

What a great video segment, very insightful. I'm curious to know more about these polls you reference. I hope you post more on that topic.