The movie "12 Angry Men" considers and studies the jury system by observing the deliberations of a jury impatient to wrap up a murder case, even though a life hangs in the balance. Juror 8 holds out and reviews evidence until the other jurors are either convinced of the defendant's innocence or personal prejudice is revealed.

In a case where life is the opposite of art, a lone holdout for an acquittal was removed from a jury for supposed bias. The juror was found to be biased against the court, allegedly lying about their capacity to fairly weigh evidence.

The defendant had been in a car when one of the passengers left and robbed a liquor store, killing the clerk in the process. The defendant was found guilty of murder after the controversial dismissal took place.

The defendant's attorney challenged the ultimate murder conviction of his client based on the juror dismissal being a violation of the defendant's constitutional rights. The defendant has a right to a fair trial by a jury of their peers. Reasonable doubt isn't all of the sudden useless just because only one juror sees it.

The United States Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case.

Although this murder did not occur in Florida, its implications are national. The jury process is extremely important to the justice system, and the court's decision in this case will guide the dismissal process in Florida trials and others in the country.

Source

Courthouse News Service: "Justices Take Up Tainted Murder Trial Lawsuit," Barbara Leonard, Jan. 16, 2012