Illinois considering measure I've long supported

With the passage of Amendment 80, I once thought the door would be opened for juries in courts of equity, until I looked at our state's Constitution. Illinois State Rep Monique Davis (D-Chicago) filed a proposal that would enable divorcing couples to petition the court for a jury trial in a pending divorce. I once floated this on an Arkansas listserv for attorneys and received a pretty chilly reception. "Are you trying to bring Jerry Springer to Arkansas courtrooms?"

It is already allowed in Texas, where juries are able to recommend determinations of custody/conservatorship to the Court. I see nothing wrong with allowing juries (even six-man juries) to serve as the fact-finder in equitable conflicts here in Arkansas.