Jury Duty

I received a jury summons.
I had to attend court one monday and went into a room with about 60 or so other randomly selected citizens. After a brief spiel from a friendly staff member, names were called over a loudspeaker of people who had to go inside the court room to be part of a jury. They selected people for 2 trials, i think. I wasn't selected on the first monday but along with the rest of the people, had to go back the following Monday. This time my name was called up....

I was then on a jury for 2 days. The first day involved hearing witnesses and the defence and prosecutors present their case. The second day involved a summary by the judge and then deliberations by our jury. We went into the jury room from about 11am and finally reached our verdict by 4pm. It was a rather challenging experience in interpersonal communication and justice. I found it a challenge to be objective and not feeling sorry for the accused - i was consantly reminding myself that it's important to make a decision based on the evidence not on wanting the person not to go to prison. I feel my conscience is clear in that i was as fair as i could be. (In a way we all had to make our own decision and then discuss it, and not just follow what the other jury members decide).

The charges against the accused were for burglary, stealing and commission to commit a crime. Our decision didn't have to be unanimous but had to have a majority of 10. None of our verdicts were unanimous and at one point we had a 3-9 deadlock. Our jury reached a verdict of guilty for 2 of the charges and not guilty for another. After we announced our verdict we stepped down from the jury box but were allowed to stay, in the back of the court if we wanted to hear the sentencing. A few of us stayed and so we heard the accused's criminal history and that he received an 8 month prison sentence. I was quite suprised at the harshness of the sentence but I trust the judge because he seemed fair.

There's not much joy in helping someone to spend more time becoming more corrupt in prison, especially when they are younger than me and have been a victim of crime themselves as a child, as this person had been.

Some of the jury members were really annoying but most were impressively clear-headed and objective who really helped me by their clear thinking and communication.

It's sad to me that people can so easily label other people as criminals and bad people as if they themselves were "good" people. I was sickened about how easily we ignore our own hypocrisy, pride, hatred, arrogance, unforgiveness and selfiness and self-righteously condemn another persons crime. Some crimes are laid bare for all to see and others are hidden and brushed over.

"To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men - robbers, evildoers, adulterers- or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.'
"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.'
"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."