Although, I didn’t get chosen to sit on the jury –I was willing but I did sit through several hours of the judge and lawyers asking questions weeding through the jurors. Initially they called 12 people, randomly, to sit in the jury box. Then asked questions with each person offering up their reasons why they could or couldn’t be fair.

I was a bit disappointed my name wasn’t called but it was random so maybe next time. And after going through the experience I have a totally different view of ‘jury duty’. I don’t look at it as a burden, but as a responsibility as a citizen in our ‘republic’.

Another thing we tend to forget in our system of justice with all the legal/law shows we watch each week, is everyone is assumed innocent until proven guilty. I think we should remember this everytime we hear the legal pundits on TV convicting a man/woman without knowing/hearing the facts. And next time you’re summoned to jury duty you should consider it a priviledge to participate in our government.

BTW: it was a criminal case where a young man was charged with reckless endangerment and stalking.