For this assignment you will need to watch the classic 1957 film "12 Angry Men." The link for the film is toward the bottom of the page. Please scroll down to see it. It stars Henry Fonda and Lee J. Cobb. Jury Duty is the 2nd most important civic responsibility we have as citizens. Our first is voting. While this film is a dramatization, I can tell you from personal experience (I served as a juror for an attempted murder trial in 2013) there is drama in jury deliberations. Not quite as much - perhaps - as that depicted here, but the personalities presented by these outstanding actors is present in many jury deliberations today. Of course, juries today are not made up of all white men. Sadly it would not be until the early 1970s when we would begin to see juries reflect the communities they are supposed to represent.

Do not forget to respond to the unmistakable jury summons when they come in the mail. In fact you are required by law to respond.

I have provided a timeline and annotated notes to guide you through the film. Here:12 Angry Men.docxDownload 12 Angry Men.docx

Here's a link to the classic 1957 film:

http://ia800902.us.archive.org/5/items/12AngryMen1957/12%20Angry%20Men%20(1957).mp4

This version came to my attention just on May 4, 2020 courtesy of Rihana Medina, a fellow POLS 101 student here at AVC who worked on this community production. Great job! This production, "12 Angry Jurors," with a modern diverse cast, was directed by Rick Gould and performed at the Tehachapi Community Theatre on October 16, 2016. Thank you again Rihana!

TCT Presents: 12 Angry JurorsLinks to an external site. Minimize Video

This second free version is an old 1954 version of the stage play. It also will not match the annotated timing or notes directly, but the questions from the classwork will still match.

12 Angry Men - Original Live TV Version 1954Links to an external site.12 Angry Men Produced by Henry Fonda and Reginald Rose (1957) Written by Reginald Rose Directed by Sydney Lumet Principal Cast: Henry Fonda with Ed Begley, E.G. Marshall, Jack Warden, Martin Balsam, John Fiedler, Jack Klugman, Edward Binns, Joseph Sweeney, George Voskovec, Robert Webber and Lee J. Cobb. START: New York City: Summer, 1957. 0:01:15 The judge offers instructions to the jury. 0:03:03 Titles/Credits 0:05:34 The jury door is locked. 1) Once the jurors are seated in their deliberation room, why do believe the Court locks the door? 0:10:44 Initial roll call of where the jurors stand on the case. 11-1 in favor of conviction. 0:11:39 2) Is juror #8 brave for being the only juror to initially vote for acquittal? 0:15:38 3) Do some jurors seem to offer little or flimsy evidence to support their opinions? 0:21:49 Juror #3 talks negatively about his son. 4) Do older generations tend to criticize younger generations? Why? 0:23:30 The jury foreperson is selected by the jurors themselves at the beginning of deliberations. This process is omitted in the film. 0:26:00 Start of the switchblade knife discussion 0:30:59 Secret Ballot Vote 5) Why might paper (secret) ballots be preferable than raising hands? 0:33:00 6) Do you see evidence of peer pressure in the film? 0:39:27 Start of the El-Train and noise discussion

2 0:43:43 Juror #9 (the "old man") indicates that a witness might not consciously lie, but can convince himself/herself that they saw or heard something. And they can even do so for public attention. 7) Do you believe this argument has merit? Briefly explain. 0:48:10 8) Is it realistic to assume some jurors might be more interested in going to a Ballgame (or other event)? Why? 0:53:20 Start of the discussion as to whether the male witness could have seen the murder take place 0:59:10 9) Consider all public actions a public servant can make. Can personal problems interfere with public decisions? Explain. 1:01:58 Another roll call, with the jury now at 6-6 1:08:24 A "hung jury" can only be declared at the discretion of the presiding judge. 10) Have the jurors really spent enough time discussing this case? 1:09:20 Discussion of memory with juror #4. 11) Can you remember who starred in the last movie you saw in a theater? 1:12:41 Discussion of the stab wound 1:18:00 12) Do some jurors seem prejudiced and biased in their opinions? Explain. 1:21:20 Discussion of the female witness and glasses 1:32:11 The jury is now 12-0 in favor of acquittal. 13) Which issue, if any, would present reasonable doubt in your opinion? (Recall: Switchblade knife, noise of El-Train, doubts of male witness' ability to see the murder, memory doubts, stab wound, and eyesight questions of the female witness) 14) How should a jury look today? 15) What do you believe to be the biggest overall message of the film?