This last week I have the privilege of being a Juror in a criminal trial. This was my first time being selected to participate. The 6 days we sat in court we eye opening to say the least. I can say with ABSOLUTE conviction and belief that “We Americans, have a judicial process that is FAIR and JUST and provided to us simply because we are citizens of this beautiful country.” I walked into the courts believing we all have absolute opinions based on information given (or lack of information provided) that all people are either good or bad. This experience has challenged that opinion for me. It’s not a simple black and white answer. The gray areas of a person allow them to be both good and bad at the same time. My fellow jurors and I explored the tangible physical evidence. We listened to testimony of both witnesses and experts. We watched 3 seasoned attorneys argue with conviction, compassion and cunning the merits of their case. We laughed at the human parts of life and cringed at the terror that was present during this crime. We as a country are a diverse group. We all have special skills and unique talents that make all the pieces of the puzzle fit together to make the quilt of our American identity. 14 of us sat on the Jury, at the end 2 we dismissed as alternates. 12 community members decided the verdict of 1 person. To any who want to “get out of jury duty” or “simply ignore the summons” or complain about the time or costs, I say to you…It’s not only your duty as a FREE citizen of this country, it’s not only an experience you’ll never forget, but it’s something that you would want - should you ever be in a situation where your life or liberty was at stake. I love my country! I love the freedoms afforded to me! I may not wear a uniform, but yesterday, I served my country. My freedom means to much to me not to do so when called upon.
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 16:46:30 +0000
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