I was called for jury duty for the Villages murder trial several years ago. The jury pool was huge. I was in the Jury assembly room from 8 a.m. til 5 p.m. for six days. I appeared on Monday and was in the final group of 11 called to Voir Dire the following Monday.
As it turned out, they needed only one more juror. I ultimately was not selected.
It was a great experience. I felt the seriousness of it when I faced the two young defendants in the courtroom on that final day. I realized at that time that if I was selected, I held their lives in my hands.
They were found guilty. One got life in prison, the other got the death sentence.
I know it's considered to be a nuisance, but what greater privilege do we have as American citizens than to be the ones who shape our judicial system. Jurors perform a vital role in the American system of justice. The reward for a juror's services lies in the awareness that he or she has performed a high duty of citizenship, and in the realization that he or she has aided in the maintenance of law, order, and in the administration of justice among his or her fellow citizens.
Think about Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Cuba and other places where people are found guilty in make believe trials and taken out back and shot or hung. Even the Saddam Hussein execution was a circus. How about countries where women are executed for sexual activity.
I think I'll serve on Jury duty an time I'm called.
JLK
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