In the play Twelve Angry Men, a boy is put on trial for allegedly murdering his father after a night of arguing. Twenty-five-year-old Rodney King was beaten by four white Los Angeles police officers on March 3, 1991 (CNN Wire 1). That day, King was stopped for exceeding the speed limit while intoxicated (Kaplan 1). The jury in both of these cases played a major role in the verdict in each case. In the play Twelve Angry Men, the twelve men who make up the jury are faced with a difficult decision to make; decide whether or not a nineteen-year-old boy was guilty of murder. Forty-three years later, twelve jurors were assigned the Rodney King case in which they had to decide the fate of the four Los Angeles officers who brutally beat Rodney King, an African-American citizen. Serving on the jury in the Rodney King case must have been a difficult task given the evidence surrounding the trial. On March 3, Rodney King drove away from police officers while intoxicated. On March 3, Rodney King was suddenly taken from his vehicle. On March 3, Rodney King was brutally punched and beaten nearly sixty times by police officers in Los Angeles, California (Boyd 1). The Rodney King Legacy Lives states: "The sickening recording, made by a local resident, clearly shows the man on the ground offering no resistance as the cops allegedly punched him fifty-six times in the body and face." (Carter 2). Thanks to the recording, the jury members had the opportunity to see for themselves the acts of brutality that took place. Some of the damage caused "skull fractures, nerve damage, a crushed cheekbone, a broken ankle, and possible brain damage" (Brady 1).With this information, the members...... middle of paper. ..... ra - School edition. Internet. April 14, 2014. Kaplan, David A. Foote, Donna. "King II: What Made the Difference? (Cover)." Newsweek 121.17 (1993): 26. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Internet. April 14, 2014. Kaplan, David A. Meyer, Michael. “Roll the tape.” Newsweek 121.6 (1993): 68. MAS Ultra - School Edition. Internet. April 23, 2014. “Los Angeles: A Tale of Two Trials.” » Newsweek 120.7 (1992): 37. MAS Ultra - School edition. Internet. April 14, 2014. Medina, Jennifer. "Rodney King dies at 47; police beat victim who asked 'Can we all just get along?'." The New York Times. The New York Times, June 17, 2012. Web. April 22, 2014.Rose, Reginald. Twelve angry men. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.Staff, CNN Wire. “A Timeline of Events in the Life of Rodney King.” CNN. Cable News Network, January 1, 1970. Web. April 22, 2014. “Working Together Quotes.” » BrainyQuote. Xplore and Web. May 16 2014.