What Hollywood, USA, Teaches the World (Incorrectly and Correctly) about Juries

This chapter examines American jury films and what they teach the world about American juries. Some of the lessons they offer are instructive, but others do not comport with American juries in practice. One persistent and misleading message of jury films is that juries include a holdout juror, even though holdout jurors occur infrequently on actual juries. The most famous American jury film, 12 Angry Men, teaches this lesson; however, it also shows a jury that ultimately works hard to arrive at a responsible verdict, which is what most actual juries try to do. This film is enjoying an extraordinary renaissance; it is being remade into foreign versions across the globe. This chapter also explores how 12 Angry Men serves as a window into American juries; foreign remakes of it also provide a window into the aspirations of countries around the world.