There are good reasons to believe few trials that happen are extremely far from any kind of fairness, and they’re stacked to give persecution an advantage. Just compare massive funding of police and prosecutors with puny funding of defense attorneys.
On the other hand, the prosecution needs to convince twelve jurors, the defense only needs to convince one.
On the other hand, the prosecution needs to convince twelve jurors, the defense only needs to convince one.
Not necessarily. If the 11 and the 1 hold fast, then this results in a mistrial, not an acquittal; so really the defence needs to convince only 1 but every time, while the prosecution needs to convince all 12 but only once. (And in fact the 1 will be under enormous pressure from the 11 to convert before that point is reached.) ETA: Of course ‘every time’ is not forever; eventually the prosecution will give up.
On the other hand, the prosecution needs to convince twelve jurors, the defense only needs to convince one.
Not necessarily. If the 11 and the 1 hold fast, then this results in a mistrial, not an acquittal; so really the defence needs to convince only 1 but every time, while the prosecution needs to convince all 12 but only once. (And in fact the 1 will be under enormous pressure from the 11 to convert before that point is reached.) ETA: Of course ‘every time’ is not forever; eventually the prosecution will give up.