How would you decide?
How would you decide? was a courtroom show of ZDF . It ran from 1974 to 2000.
In this broadcast, originally moderated by Gerd Jauch , real court cases were heard again in front of an audience in the television studio. Before the real verdict was pronounced, the studio audience was asked for their opinion. The audience decided the respective case by pushing a button. This way you could see how the majority of the studio audience would decide. At times, the result was indicated by balls that fell into the scales of a Justitia figure.
Then the studio court, consisting of real judges, pronounced the verdict as the respective case had actually been decided. The verdict was then discussed with Hans Brox from the University of Münster and the studio audience was able to take part in the discussion or ask questions. After Gerd Jauch retired, the journalist Bernhard Töpper took over the moderation until the ZDF stopped the show.
Similar formats in other countries
In the Netherlands there since 1995 on the sender NCRV the shipment De Rijdende Right ( "The traveling judges"). Here, however, the viewers do not decide at the push of a button, but discuss factually with each other and exchange their opinions. The final judgment will be given by Judge Frank Visser.