slatten49 wrote:
An old editorial from the Waco Tribune Herald follows. In this instance, I agree wholeheartedly. I have always accepted jury duty as part of being a good citizen. In all honesty, I know few family or friends who agree with my stance on this matter.
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An old witticism holds that the problem with juries is they're made up of people who aren't smart enough to get out of jury duty. One wonders if that will be so amusing after District Clerk Joe Gimble sends out letters informing the 270 people who simply blew off jury summons this month that they can now explain all this to State District Judge Ralph Strother and why they shouldn't be held in contempt of court.
Onerous government overreach? Hardly. And it's high time.
In laying out the Bill of Rights, the Founding Fathers stressed through the 6th Amendment that citizens charged with a crime had a right to trial before an impartial jury, a right that can be traced all the way back to the Magna Carta of 1215. And while this amendment originally applied on to federal trials, the 14th Amendment helped ensure this also applied to trials involving the individual states.
But federal and state justice systems can't function if citizens ignore jury summons, as is reportedly the case in McLennan County. District Clerk Gimble says on average 70% of people summoned for jury duty don't bother to respond to court notices. We're not talking about people who show up for jury duty to then seek waivers before the judge. And, we're not talking about people who understandably seek to change jury service dates because of other unavoidable obligations. We're talking about scofflaws who in the past have probably gotten away with ignoring jury summons and so feel free to do so again. Happily, Judge Strother is giving the 270 people in this particular case a chance to reschedule their service. Our advice: Take the offer...and fast.
Some of us were a little doubtful when district judges and Gimble warned late last year they would take more seriously those who ignore jury duty, but we're glad to see them actually laying down the law. It's overdue. People held in contempt for failing to appear for jury duty can face fines ranging from $100 to $1000. And those who think they can also ignore Gimble's forthcoming letters are subject to a personal visit by a sheriff's deputy with orders to haul them into court.
Americans should revel in jury service, given it's one of the very few obligations a citizen has. It ensures our courts operate properly. And, with controversial trials continually coming up, citizens should be a part of the equation ensuring that any justice dealt is truly just.
An old editorial from the Waco Tribune Herald foll... (
show quote)
Well, that's all just peachy, doing your duty and all that, but as dutiful and American as jury duty may be,
in some cases, it can be a life changing event. And not necessarily in a good way.
As a juror in a civil case, or a white collar crime, or some other minor crime, the experience is generally non-threatening and absent a load of emotional and psychological burdens. However, as a juror in case of violent crime, the experience can be daunting.
Jurors in these cases can, and most often are, exposed to graphic testimony and photos, even videos, including images of victims, blood, and corpses. Oftentimes, these images would be shown repeatedly over the course of the trial.
For example, in an alcohol-related traffic accident case involving the death of many teenagers. The jurors had been exposed to graphic pictures of dead students, and were subjected to detailed testimony about how each of them had died. The judge in this case was so concerned about the jurors' reactions he called Dr. Roger Bell, a psychology professor at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, to help him deal with it. The judge and Dr. Bell described the jurors as "going through terrible agony."
Because jurors may be given so much disturbing information over the course of a trial, a juror may leave the trial with a much more fearful psyche than when the trial commenced. Jurors can suffer from a variety of symptoms following a criminal trial. The most frequently reported symptoms are sleeplessness and anxiety. Other symptoms include: stomachaches, headaches, heart palpitations, depression, sexual problems, chest pain, ulcers, elevated blood pressure, intrusive thoughts, and restlessness.
Jurors have reported avoiding certain locations or triggers that remind them of their jury service. In one study, 29% of jurors reported specifically avoiding doing things or going places that would remind them of their time on the jury.
In addition, Jurors also suffer from the sudden and often overwhelming responsibility given to them in a criminal trial. They recognize that they have the duty to drastically change the outcome of the life of one or more human beings. They fear making the wrong decision, and living with the guilt. Even jurors who believe that they made the right decision -- legally speaking -- may feel sick about the consequences.
Then there is the isolation when sequestered.
Away from home and family,
can't talk to anybody about the trial,
not even another juror.
Kinda like a Covid lock down.
On top of that there are the personalities of the jurors themselves.
Been fist fights during deliberations, some of them were knock down, drag outs.
And hung juries and dead locked juries.
But this wasn't on your mind when you brought up our wonderful privilege of doing our duty on a jury, is it?
I'm reasonably certain you are thinking about all those fine, honest, upstanding citizens who would be called to duty should Donald Trump ever go to trial. They must absolutely do their duty for the good of the nation and find him guilty on all counts.
If you tell me I am wrong, I probably won't believe you.
“I consider trial by jury as the only anchor ever yet imagined by man,
by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution."Thomas Jefferson
We can only hope ....