A Life and Death Decision

"A life in the balance. Twelve people must make a momentous choice: whether the man they convicted of murder should be sentenced to death. Locked in a cramped room, these strangers feel strong emotions, from certainty to doubt, from anger to calm, from satisfaction to despair. Bringing drama to life, A Life and Death Decision gives insight into how a jury grapples with legal, moral, and personal dilemmas." "The death penalty is among the most controversial issues in America today, with debates over its constitutionality and fairness taking center stage. But little is known about how jurors, real people, come to grips with the awesome responsibility inherent in a life or death decision. Scott E. Sundby gives us access to the deliberations and tensions of jurors making a decision sure to alter lives - of the culprit and his family, the victim's family, and the jurors themselves." "Scott E. Sundby explores how the jurors came to a unanimous decision through persuasion and pressure. The voices of the jurors are compelling, their reasoning fascinating. They shed light on broader issues, including the roles of race, class, and gender in the justice system. With death penalty cases consistently in the news, this is an important window on how real jurors deliberate about a pressing national issue."--Jacket.