“Beyond a Reasonable Doubt”

Those were the words the judge instructed to “we the jury” as the trial concluded and we headed into the deliberation room. Like most people, I dread getting that little postcard from our state government reminding me that it is my civic duty to serve as a juror every 3 years or so. Never had I been chosen to actually sit on a jury for a trial until last month. The experience was surreal: With 6 fellow jurors, I listened to arguments for and against the criminal case of an 18 year old young man charged with 1) driving under the influence of alcohol and 2) negligent driving. I deliberated with 6 total strangers to decide his fate. And I observed that the one juror who felt the defendant was not guilty changed his mind at 4:10 pm - 20 minutes before the courthouse closed - 20 minutes before we would be instructed to return the next day if we did not deliver a unanimous decision. “We the jury” impacted that young man’s future, but it was that young man who made a series of poor decisions who decided his own fate. Serving on a jury and participating in the fundamental right that all Americans are entitled to a fair trial may not be on your bucket list, but I urge you to add it.