In the Republic of Georgia in Eastern Europe for the first time ever (starting October 1, 2010), defendants have the option of being tried by a jury of their peers. This staple of the American court system was made part of the Georgia constitution six years ago. It’s only just now being offered on a limited basis. But as Mary Stucky reports, the United States has been part of a rather unconventional effort to get the country ready.

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The following is a transcript. To listen to the broadcast, please click on the link above.

[Sound from TV show trailer]

Mary Stucky: That’s the trailer from a three-part miniseries on Georgian TV – a pregnant woman is brutally murdered – her husband is charged with the crime – a jury decides his fate.

[Sound from the show of a jury arguing as it deliberates]

Mary Stucky: The miniseries debuted on October 1 – that’s the same day Georgia began offering jury trials just for murder cases in and around the capital Tibilisi.

[Sound  from trailer to the end (it’s dramatic)]

Jared Kimball: I never thought when I took the job that I would be working on screenplays that would introduce Georgians to the jury system.

Mary Stucky: That’s Jared Kimball… an American lawyer from Spokane who grew up watching TV courtroom dramas  like LA Law. He was assigned the task of writing the TV scripts as part of a U.S. justice department program in Georgia.

Roland Vashagashvili: I am a career prosecutor, but I really wanted to write these to be even so that the juries had a lot to wrestle with. We would use a famous Georgian, an actor, a sports figure, to be in the jury as a way to draw attention so as they were flipping channels they might see someone famous on the jury and keep watching.  I think it worked.

Mary Stucky: It seems to have worked for this Tibilisi resident, Roland Vashagashvili.

Male, speaking Georgian: Here’s the translation: I have seen the TV show. After watching the show, I have a more positive view of juries, even though the show was too theatrical for me.

Mary Stucky: Still, others remain skeptical.

[Street sound]

Mary Stucky: Nino Danelia, who lives in Tiblisi,  says she’s worried about jury duty.

Woman, speaking English: I am very afraid that one day I receive a notice and say I have to go to the court and have a decision. I can sentence him and I can be wrong. I don’t think I dare to judge others.

Mary Stucky: And Ana Panisashvili says it’s going to take a lot more than a TV show to get Georgians to accept juries.

Female, speaking Georgian: Here’s the translation: Georgian society is not trustful, especially regarding the court. People think juries could be bribed just as easily as judges.

Mary Stucky: In fact, Georgians rank the judiciary as the most corrupt institution in the country.  U.S. District Judge John Tunheim has been working with judges in Georgia.

Judge John Tunheim: There clearly is corruption there, and I think that the jury is going to decide whether the person is guilty or not guilty, not the judge.  Get people involved in very important decision-making and take it away from a judiciary that people widely view as corrupt.

Mary Stucky: Georgia’s Supreme Court Assistant Chief Justice  Zaza Meishvili  is considered to be one of the country’s young reformers.  Meishvili thinks serving on juries will make Georgians more engaged citizens.

Speaking Georgian: Here’s the translation: We are not only ready to delegate our power to the juries, we are also happy, because giving power to them to make the decision is a big step forward on the way to the democratization of the country.

Mary Stucky: So far, no defendant has chosen a jury trial. But Jared Kimball expects it to happen anytime now.

Jared Kimball: I think people will be ready for that first trial, and I’ll be in the front row.

Mary Stucky: And that trial will be for real. If it goes well in Tiblisi, jury trials will expand to other parts of Georgia and could include crimes in addition to murder.

For The World, I’m Mary Stucky.

Reporter Ketevan Vashagashvili contributed to this story from Georgia.