Justice Factory: Juries and the Jury Selection Expert

Originally airing on Court TV, this MTV-inspired guide for teens features host Jan Rostal, lawyer Jeff Kern, and student Gracie Gonzalez walking viewers through the basics of trial by jury--from receiving a summons to rendering a verdict, using the example of a hypothetical trial (Did Dorothy indeed douse the Wicked Witch with a particularly lethal bucket of water?). Where the program seriously falters is in its overlong presentation by Jo-Ellen Dimetrius, a jury selection expert who actually has the chicken mcnuggets to slip in some reference to "philosophical" reservations she might have on certain issues (as if "truth" and "justice" were on her high-priority list) and a day-in-the-life segment where viewers watch a law student--believe it or not--shopping for clothes. Mixing the serious and the utterly superficial, this episode in the 13-part Justice Factory series (series price: $995) could be put to good use by a teacher with a healthy fast-forward finger, but for others this is an optional purchase. Other titles in the series include: Mock Trials, The Assistant District Attorney, and Teens in Prison. Aud: J, H. (R. Pitman)