‘You the Jury’ Will Put TV Viewers to Work

Jury duty is not something most people enjoy. We have to take days off from work and travel to the courthouse. We have little choice in the matter and cases are usually boring. It may be our civil duty, something we’re ultimately proud to do — but that doesn’t mean it’s a joy.

An upcoming series from Fox, “You the Jury,” will be changing the way we think about jury duty. Instead of receiving a stern letter in the mail calling us to a courtroom, “You the Jury” will turn us into jurors simply by getting us to pick up the phone.

“Welcome to the new face of American justice.”

Hosted by Fox News’ Judge Jeanine Pirro, “You the Jury” will explore different civil cases each week, argued by actual attorneys like Casey Anthony’s lawyer, Jose Baez, on national television. The cases will include a live audience; after evidence has been presented and arguments made, viewers will have five minutes to vote online for what they think is the fair outcome.

The show premieres Friday, April 7, at 9 p.m. ET, 8 p.m. CT.

The cases are presided over by former California Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell. Each episode will be tied to current hot-button issues like free speech and religious freedom.

One wrinkle in the show will come from the ambitious notion of live voting. Because of the differences in ET and PT, a decision made in a case could be overturned if West Coast voters sway the result in a different way.

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Another unique aspect to the show will be the presentation of closing arguments. Instead of giving lawyers the last word, the plaintiffs and defendants will have the opportunity to sum up their cases to television viewers. Participants on the series will also need to sign a document stating they’ll accept the decision made by “You the Jury” viewers.

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If nothing else, “You the Jury” is an ambitious concept compared to most other unscripted courtroom shows. By tackling controversial subjects and asking viewers to engage in the process, “Jury” may actually be just what television viewers need.

In these polarizing times, it’s a show that is forcing viewers who disagree to take part in the same process and to watch people that disagree debate in a civil and intelligent manner.

It remains to be seen how the experiment of “You the Jury” will go, but the Fox series is certainly like nothing else to come before it. As Judge Jeanine Pirro noted in the promotional ad for the show, “Welcome to the new face of American justice.”