<p>For the past two weeks I served on a jury for a criminal trial in our county. It was a fascinating experience, truly collaborative deliberations among a respectful, thoughtful, patient, conscientious group of citizens. Some were in their 60’s, one just finished his freshman year in college, two were young mothers, one was a retired teacher, one was a first grade teacher. Most were native born Americans, but several were naturalized citizens (the forewoman had been a citizen for only five months!) </p>
<p>At the end of the trial, when the sheriff’s deputy was escorting us to the parking garage so that we could avoid media attention, he commented that we had functioned the best of any jury he had ever seen, that our questions and requests to the judge were the most thorough and thoughtful, and he said he agreed with our verdict. His affirmation was a blessing and a relief. </p>
<p>Many friends tell me that their jury experiences have been unpleasant, that other jurors have been impatient, rude, confrontational, and insulting, and there are many urban legends and war stories about efforts to avoid jury service. Our jury evolved from an initial group of almost a hundred jurors, and at the end only four were left in the pool (others were available to be called, but had not been present for voir dire). We felt that the judge and the lawyers made a real effort to pick folks who thought they could be fair and whose lives would not be made significantly harder by serving for a trial of this length. We were impressed with their grace and ease with each other. </p>
<p>The facilities for us were pleasant, especially the “holding pen” for the jurors, where we assembled and then retreated for breaks and lunch…a lovely old church with high ceilings, Tiffany windows, beautiful woodwork. We felt appreciated and respected. I hope that everyone can have such a positive experience as a participating citizen.</p>