Thoughts on jury duty

By Nick Johnson on Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 |

A little over a month ago, I received a letter in the mail informing me that I had been selected for jury duty. Like most people, I wasn’t entirely thrilled about my selection. Being a routine-oriented person, I wasn’t looking forward to missing work and sitting in a courtroom for an extended period of time. However, I knew it was my duty and obligation to serve, and thus I showed up at the requested date and time.

Before this trial, my knowledge of the legal system consisted of what I had seen in movies and on television. That being said, I was shocked to see dozens of people waiting to be summoned into the courtroom. After seeing how many other people had been called to serve jury duty, I felt increasingly more confident in my chances of not being chosen. Once we were all situated in the courtroom, everyone viewed an informational movie that described what we were to expect. After the movie, groups of potential jurors were summoned to the jury box for questioning. A series of questions followed and eventually the jury was established, and I found myself on it.

Over the next several days, I learned a lot. Not only did I learn a lot about the legal system, but I also learned a lot about my fellow jurors. The following are just a few things I learned during my jury duty experience, along with some personal thoughts.

Get adequate rest! It can be hard to stay awake, let alone stay focused, if you aren’t getting enough sleep.
Show up on time! One juror was several minutes late on multiple occasions. This is disrespectful to everyone, especially the defendant.
Follow the rules! The same juror mentioned in number two decided to do her own “investigation” using the internet. A blatant violation of the rules of the court! The rules are there for a reason, they exist to protect the rights of the defendant along with everyone else involved with the trial.
The deliberation room is not that fancy. I was under the false impression that deliberation rooms were comfortable places stocked with comfortable chairs along with wonderful food and drinks. The deliberation room, while nice, seemed more like a remodeled janitor’s closet lined with uncomfortable wooden chairs. (I do have to say that the bailiff was extremely nice in providing us with nearly everything we requested though)
Take lots of notes! If something catches your attention during the trial, take note of it. That way you can spend time debating the evidence, instead of debating what was presented as evidence. (We wasted lots of time in the deliberation room debating over what was or wasn’t said, rather than discussing the evidence)

By the end my service, my entire outlook on jury duty had changed. If you feel the same way about jury duty that I used to feel, I ask you to consider something. Some day it might be you standing in a courtroom as a defendant, looking for a fair and impartial group of jurors to serve in your case. If that day comes, wouldn't you rather have jurors who are voluntarily complying with their obligations, rather than those who are resentful of the intrusion? Put more simply, what comes around, goes around. Just be honest and fair, and everything will work out as it should.

If you have questions about my jury duty experience you can e-mail me at huntingtonelite@att.net.

If you would like more information about jury duty, you can click on either of the following links:

Jury Duty in Indiana FAQ’s about jury duty

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