Matthew Cavedon
Today, the Cato Institute launches Your Verdict Counts, a nonpartisan civic education initiative anchored by an eight-minute short video designed to help Americans better understand their rights and responsibilities when called to serve on a jury.
The campaign focuses on educating prospective jurors about rights they are rarely told about before entering the courtroom. This includes the ability to vote according to their conscience, protections against punishment for a verdict, and the fact that “reasonable doubt” has no fixed legal definition and is left to each juror’s judgment.
Half of the Bill of Rights concerns jury trials. Trial by jury is guaranteed twice in the Constitution. It was never meant to be a mere formality: it’s supposed to be where the conscience of the community decides who is deprived of life, liberty, or property. Your Verdict Counts is an important step toward restoring government by the people as the Founders intended.
As part of the campaign, the Cato Institute has launched yourverdictcounts.org, which walks prospective jurors through the stages of jury service and includes firsthand accounts from people directly impacted by jury service, along with a printable wallet card summarizing key rights.
Additionally, the Cato Institute will host multiple in-person events in the Richmond, Virginia, area to educate prospective jurors on their rights and roles as jurors and to answer questions from legal experts.
