On my second week of being on call for jury duty, I was slightly less nervous than the first go round. The biggest plus is that I knew I would get home far earlier than I do from work, so my kids would be thrilled. But I just didn’t want to do it. Why? Well, for me the biggest thing would probably be that I worry too much about things, and the idea makes me a nervous wreck. But what about most people?
I had a conversation with a friend, who stated that she wouldn’t feel comfortable sending someone to jail even if she was fairly certain that person was guilty. Who was she to judge? Valid point.
But just like everything else, there’s a flipside: What if the accused had done something terrible to me or to my loved one? Wouldn’t I want a jury of my peers to spend their time listening to witnesses, examining evidence, and determining the truth? Doesn’t someone deserve the same courtesy from me when they are the victim?
This really left me wondering where our send of duty is. I mean, after all, it’s called jury duty. Not jury onlyifyoureallyfeellikeit.
Have you been called for jury duty before? I’d love to hear about it!
Did you like this post? Find more of my work here.
photo courtesy of Salvatore Vuono via freedigitalphotos.net
Ashley O'Melia, Author 
The idea of jury duty is quite terrifying to me, I’ve never been called to do it so far thankfully! But you are quite right, if something happened to my loved one, I would want the jury to be honest and do what they could for justice. It shouldn’t just be a duty, but a sense of right to do it 🙂 Good luck with it!
Thank you! I really was terrified, but it all turned out okay.
I do not know many people who went to Jury Duty, for one reason or another they got out of it. This includes me. I knew someone who was excited to get Jury Duty. I did not understand why. To be a judge of another seems like a very difficult task. This is especially true if it were for a verdict that can drastically change someone’s life. Sadly, for her, her case was called off. I wish you luck in your experience. I am sure it is a learning experience.
It definitely was! And I got paid a whopping $31 for my time lol.
I have mixed feelings about jury duty but feel it’s my responsibility as a US citizen. I rarely get chosen due to my background in the legal arena but I show up just the same. I’d want everyone to show up and be accounted for if I was the one suffering or trying to right what I thought was a terrible injustice.
I actually served on two separate juries. You know how they say truth is stranger than fiction… In one case a co-worker at a furniture delivery place attacked another co-worker with a machete for bullying. In the other a woman who fell and injured herself was suing for higher disability payments. It was a very strange and fascinating experience. The language of the law is often very specific and you’re basically being asked whether the evidence is strong enough to convict.
Those are some pretty crazy cases!
I was asked once by a UK court to be on a jury. I had to regretfully decline as I was working on a pipeline in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert and I would have missed the flies, sandstorms and Texans if I returned to a UK courtroom. Also the money was better in the desert 😉 Ralph ❤