LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) -- FOX has expanded the debut of its summer drama "The Jury" to two hours, with back-to-back episodes kicking off at 8:00/7:00c on Tuesday, June 8.

The news was announced via press release yesterday:

THE VERDICT IS IN � "THE JURY" PREMIERES WITH BACK-TO-BACK EPISODES ON TUESDAY, JUNE 8, ON FOX

New Series from Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson

THE JURY, an intense courtroom drama from the award-winning producers of "Oz" and "Homicide: Life on the Street," will premiere with two back-to-back episodes on Tuesday, June 8 (8:00-10:00 PM ET/PT) on FOX, with encores airing on Fridays (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT), starting Friday, June 11.

Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson ("Rain Man," "The Natural," "Diner"), Emmy Award-winning writer Tom Fontana ("Oz," "Homicide: Life on the Street"), Peabody Award-winning writer James Yoshimura ("Homicide: Life on the Street") and James Finnerty ("Oz") take viewers where no legal drama has gone before � inside the jury room as 12 people make the biggest decision in someone else's life. With the action focused on the jurors' deliberations, the crime unfolds through their eyes, as facts of the case are exposed through flashbacks of testimony and crime footage. A final flashback after the verdict is read will let viewers see the crime as it actually happened, enabling them to draw their own conclusions about whether the jury made the right decision.

In the first episode, "Three Boys and a Gun," 15-year-old Andrew Gutierrez is on trial as an adult for the murder of a 12-year-old boy. In the jury room, tempers fly as the jurors must decide this young boy's fate on Tuesday, June 8 (8:00-9:00 PM ET/PT). In the second episode, "The Honeymoon Suite," a girl is dead, shot through the head, and her boyfriend is found standing over her body. He claims it was a suicide pact that was interrupted, while the prosecution claims it was the act of a jealous boyfriend. The jury must decide whether this is a "Romeo and Juliet"-style tragedy or a murder. Tune in as the jury members are faced with one of the most difficult decisions they will ever have to make on Tuesday, June 8 (9:00-10:00 PM ET/PT).

Throughout the season, THE JURY, set in New York, will feature riveting cases full of twists and turns that will keep the audience guessing. But the heart of the series lies in the deliberation process. Whether the jurors are ranters and ravers or timid men and women of conscience who stand their ground, ultimately they have the responsibility to render a verdict based on their personal principles, their honesty and the merits of the law -- putting aside their own prejudices in order to see that justice prevails. The series stars Barry Levinson, Shalom Harlow, Billy Burke, Anna Friel, Jeff Hephner, Adam Busch and Cote de Pablo.

THE JURY is produced by 20th Century FOX Television and was created by James Yoshimura, Tom Fontana and Barry Levinson. Fontana, Levinson, Jim Finnerty and Yoshimura are also executive producers.