The Jury, Part 1
Have you ever been on a jury? I was called several times so far in my life, but I’ve only had to serve the last couple of times. Before that, I had always been excused because of my work load and that I managed a professional staff.
The next to last time I was called, I went to the court house and we were sent to an empty trial room and waited. After a few hours of waiting, the prosecutor came in and told us the defendant had accepted the plea deal. So after a little more than a half a day, we were cut loose. That didn’t happen with the last call.
The last time I was called, my jury summons had my number of 149 (or something like that). Knowing that they issue the summons in numerical order meant that there was almost 150 people from which they ultimately needed 12 plus a few alternates. I figured there was no way I’d have to serve.
Instead of calling us to the court house, they called us to the Expo center. If I remember right, they started turning people away after they seated 200 of us. They had us in metal folding chairs. There was a guy in the row ahead of me that did something (I don’t remember what it was) that I considered inappropriate. I saw a professionally dressed women walk over and correct him in a very commanding tone. I could tell from her tone and mannerism that she was in charge. She was the judge.
We were asked to fill out a 15-page info sheet. This form had a bunch of people that they wanted to know if we knew and if we knew details of the case. I had met one of the police officers listed as he was the coordinator for a ride along program that the Topeka Police offers. I filled out the form and left. The next day, a Friday, I got a call to come to the court on Monday to answer some questions that the parties had on the form responses. I wondered what they might have a question on all weekend. On Monday, I went in and found out they wanted to ask some follow-up questions regarding my interactions with the listed Police officer. I disclosed that a couple of people tried to share information that they knew with me regarding the case that I declined to hear. I must have passed because, a couple days later, I found out I was one of 100 that wasn’t automatically discarded due to their answers.
When I came back, I was assigned number 47 which meant I was in the group of 50 in the court room (the other 50 were watching via video from an adjoining court room). We spent a couple days with the prosecutor and defense lawyer teams asking us group questions that were more feeling involved. For example, if we found out that a previous trial had been reversed would we be able to objectively consider the testimony. This ultimately ended with each team selecting 17 out of the 50 to dismiss leaving 16 people. I was one of the 16.
“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in office in those days. The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.” - Deuteronomy 19:15-21 ESV
I was pretty sure, given my experience, I’d have to break this into two devotions. We should remember that our legal system: presumption of innocence, juries considering only presented evidence, only allowing unbiased evidence, etc., all came from our Judeo-Christian heritage. Thank God!
