Jury Duty. Two words nobody ever wants to hear. It's this mysterious thing that no one really understands unless you've actually sat through it, and boy, did I sit through it.
As a young person with a full-time job, jury duty was such an interesting event... Luckily, I have enough flexibility with my job that I was able to continue with most of my normal tasks during the week. However, I recognize that just being paid while I was on Jury Duty was a blessing in itself.
Our justice system in the U.S. is so interesting. It was a privilege to be a part of it for a few weeks, however it also opened my eyes to a lot of things about our world that I wish I could change. Sadly, I'm just a little part of this big thing we call humanity, and I know I can't change human nature. With that being said, here are some of the ways that I survived sitting through 3 weeks of this thing we call Jury Duty.
Be Kind
I know this sounds so trivial, and even a bit simple-minded, but it really is the center of what the last couple weeks have been about. Going into a trial is full of so much tension. Everyone who is involved seems to be pitted against each other. While your interactions with the attorneys and the parties are very limited, the best thing to do is smile. Smiling, even though it's such a small gesture, lets the whole room know that you are not there to judge with your heart, you're only there to judge the facts. Being kind to the other jurors around you gives you a sense of connection, almost like a family. After three weeks, our juror panel knew everyone by first name, invited each other out to lunch, got treats for each other, and laughed a lot to break the tension of the job. So much of trial by jury is lead by bitterness, sadness, and overall negativity. I can't tell you how much it helps to bring the joy to the room. Joy is contagious, and if you are strong enough to be the source of light, the light will spread.
Be Attentive
Trials can be so difficult to sit through. Whether it is a civil case (trial for money) or a criminal case (trial for incarceration), the stories and evidence can challenge your emotional and your intellectual strength. The trial I was a part of had to do with a 74 year old man falling off of a golf cart, and attaining a brain injury. Our whole case was to find out three things.
1) Who was at fault, the driver? or the person riding the golf cart?
2) How much brain damage was due to the fall, and how much was due to the aging process?
3) How much monetary reward would compensate for the medical bills, and his now strained relationships because of his injury?
Each juror had a binder that was specifically ours to take notes in. After 20 different witnesses, some being family members, some being friends, some being doctors, I had taken about 25 pages of notes. It helped me stay a bit more alert in the courtroom if I took really detailed notes, and focused on each witness' personality, countenance, and credentials. Those notes also helped when we started deliberations to make sure everyone was on the same page. The court room can be really boring, especially if you are sitting there for hours on end, listening to the same person answering the same questions multiple times. Being attentive and watching for even little changes in their testimony kept me sane in that little room full of tension.
Be Honest
From the get-go, I made sure to be extremely honest about everything the parties asked of me. When you first walk into the court room with all the other 40 or so people who were summoned, they select 18 of those people to be questioned for the jury. They hand you a questionnaire, and after you have filled it out, the judge goes through each one individually and asks questions. He asked me questions about past car accidents, past jury experience, and my job. He asked me if my job would hinder me from being unbiased in the trial. I had to answer honestly, and tell him that I am not one to separate my faith values from the law, and if this trial would ask me to do so, I didn't think I would be fit to do the job. The attorneys asked me about my beliefs in marriage, because part of the trial had to do with monetary reward for loss of love in marriage. I told them that I had a higher expectation of marriage, and that emotional caregiving is what I believe to be a part of marriage (for better or for worse right?). I don't believe that money should be given to a wife who has to make some sacrifices to take care of her husband. Granted, if there were severe sacrifices involved, like loss of income, or the need to hire an attendant for every day activities, that might be different, but he was describing money given because of a changed lifestyle and a slightly changed relationship. That is difficult for me to accept, and I told him that. Even still, for some reason, they kept me in the 12 people who would be serving for the whole trial. Honesty is truly the best policy when it comes to the court system. You want to make sure you are playing your part well, even if you don't actually want to be there.
Bring Good Food
I know this sounds like it has nothing to do with the justice system, but trust me when I say, good food can change your mood. On certain days, having a little snack in my bag, and a good book to read, or spending some mindless time on my Pinterest board during our 15 minute breaks, saved me from going crazy. The mood in the courtroom can start to have an effect on you if you aren't careful. Especially when you aren't accustomed to the world of lawsuits, your hope in humanity can start to dwindle. For me, what saved me from slipping into defeat was yummy snacks, and saying prayers. In the courtroom, I actually wrote down prayers for the different parties in my notebook, knowing that no one else was allowed to look a my notes. It helped me keep the trial in an eternal perspective. And if I'm honest, prayers and good food go well together.
Have you ever served on a jury? What was your experience? I'd love to know!
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