#2 - Author's Perspective

[Administrator]

Complete Question Explanation

The correct answer choice is (D).

Answer choice (A):

Answer choice (B):

Answer choice (C):

Answer choice (D): This is the correct answer choice.

Answer choice (E):

This explanation is still in progress. Please post any questions below!

[DorrieN]

Hi!

I am struggling to see why the answer is C. While I can see the author is strongly endorsing (rather than cautiously), I thought that the last sentence of the second paragraph acts as acknowledgment that the unanimous jury isn't perfect and therefore shouldn't be "firm" support.

[Jeremy Press]

Hi Dorrie,

Just to clarify, the answer to this one is actually D, and not C (but I think your post recognizes that, so there might just be a small typo there!).

The author is certainly responding to a potential criticism of the unanimity requirement in that sentence you identified, the last one of the second paragraph. But you should notice that the author, even in that sentence, is still defending the unanimity requirement, because they finish the sentence by saying that "a hung jury is certainly preferable to an unjust verdict." So in spite of the potential downside, the author wants to stick firmly with unanimity. Also notice how the author doesn't think of that potential criticism as a reason to qualify their subsequent recommendation to use that requirement? In the third paragraph, the author says, in an unqualified/certain manner "Requiring unanimity provides a better chance that a trial, and thus a verdict, will be fair." And also, "effective deliberation requires that each juror’s opinion be given a fair hearing."

So the author is clearly on the side of unanimity and continues to advocate for it despite there being a potential criticism or downside to it (the one you noticed in paragraph 2). That's an author who's sure of what they want and is, thus, "firm" in their support.