my first (and hopefully last) experience with jury duty
Have you ever served jury duty? In my county, if you are selected you serve for an entire month. You have to call a phone number each week and listen to a recording to find out if you are needed the following week. I have been summoned twice, but last week was the first time I had to report.
It was a new experience for me, which was met with some nervousness. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, what I should wear, what to bring (can I have my phone?) or what questions they would ask. I wished I could have read a detailed blog post about someone else’s experience, so I decided I would write mine.
WHAT TO WEAR
Someone told me to dress like I was going to church, which was pretty accurate. Everyone there was dressed pretty casual. Many people wore jeans. I do not own business attire, so I wore black jeans and a sweater with black ankle boots.
WHAT TO BRING
It really depends how your county runs the juror selection process on how your morning will look. I literally needed nothing (except a face mask) because in this instance they interviewed all the potential jurors together and I needed to pay attention the entire time. Even if there was a few minutes of downtime, I personally was too nervous to crack open a book.
THE PROCESS
I was a few minutes early and was surprised to walk into the courtroom and see the judge, court attendant, attorneys and defendant already in place. As soon as I walked in, I felt the heaviness and burden it would be if I were to be selected and have to make such an important decision regarding someone else’s life.
After all of the jurors arrived, the judge gave us some directions, the attorneys were given information about all jurors present, and we were arranged in number order. There were 23 of us, but they were mainly focused on the first 17 and in the end would need seven jurors. I was number 16.
At 9:30 am we were given a five-minute bathroom break and after that all phones were to be turned off. I shot a text to Eric and also my chiropractor’s office to let them know I wasn’t sure if I would make it to my appointment that afternoon.
When we returned from break, they started recording everything. We took an oath. At some point we learned that the case was regarding the unlawful passing of a school bus. The prosecution asked us questions, and then the defense attorney asked us a lot more questions. This probably took 90 minutes. They ask a lot of questions!
QUESTIONS WE WERE ASKED
The attorneys try to help get you in the correct mindset of a juror and judge who would be right for the case. Here are some of the questions we were asked:
Do you recognize the judge, defendant, or any of the lawyers/attorneys or potential jurors?
Have you heard anything about this case?
Do you have any trouble hearing or seeing me?
Do you have any physical ailments that would make it difficult to sit for 90 minutes at a time?
Does anyone have any immovable events today, like nonrefundable plane tickets or a surgery scheduled?
If you walked into the mall and it was cloudy and you heard rumbling off in the distance, then 20 minutes later you walked out of the mall and saw people with umbrellas and the ground was wet, what probably happened when you were in the mall?
If you have kids, and they get into an argument, how do you help them solve their problem?
Do you have any religious beliefs that would make it difficult to preside over a case (judging another person)? The attorney specifically called me out to answer this question because I work at a church.
If all the other jurors feel he is guilty, and you believe not guilty, will you give in?
Have you served on a jury before, and was it a positive experience?
Does anyone want to be chosen as a juror?
If the case ends in a not guilty verdict, will you feel unsettled?
What does proof beyond a reasonable doubt mean to you?
If the defendant doesn’t testify, will you hold it against him?
If I present two witnesses and some photos of the scene, and you believe them to be true, will you choose guilty?
When deliberating, if someone disagrees with you, what would you do about it?
Are there any police officers in your family? If a police officer takes the stand, should their account be weighed heavier than someone not in uniform?
Are police officers normal human beings with flaws and imperfections?
Should a police officer only help the prosecution, or should they be thorough?
Should I have to ask a witness a question more than once, or would that indicate that maybe their story is unclear?
Do you understand that he is presumed not guilty?
If I handed you a jury ballot right now, would you check guilty or not guilty?
Do you feel bad for the state attorneys that this is too hard for them?
Can you fight your implicit biases?
Are you worried about the media or public reaction to this verdict?
If you were in the defendant’s chair, are you someone you would want on the jury?
Would being selected for this jury cause you mental or physical health problems?
Do you want any question repeated?
Do you want to change any of your answers?
JURY SELECTION
After all the questions were asked, we were given an opportunity to speak to the judge and attorneys in private if there was anything else we wanted to share, which four of us did. I have two kids who ride the school bus and cross a street, which I thought was surprising they didn’t ask about and I felt it was important to share with them. The rest of the potential jurors were given a break. During this time you are not allowed to talk to any of the other jurors about anything — the case or otherwise. It’s kind of an eerie feeling.
Finally, there was the exercise of striking and naming of jurors. Each side got to eliminate five people they didn’t want on the jury. They really do seem to eliminate who they don’t want rather than choose who they do want.
My name was not called, which meant I was not chosen, and I was dismissed. I was very relieved. The jurors who were chosen were given a lunch break and then the trial would proceed after lunch with a recess at 4:30 pm even if they were still in the middle of deliberations. The judge estimated it would be a one-day trial.
TAKEAWAYS
The judge and attorneys were all very kind and thanked us for being there. The experience was intimidating, but they were not scary. They really want to hear what you are thinking, so they encourage that as much as possible.
I don’t want to be dramatic and say the experience was traumatic for me, but my heart rate was very high the entire time and it all felt very heavy. I feel like my emotions got the best of me and that is probably why I wasn’t selected.
I don’t ever want to be chosen for jury duty again. Not because it’s an inconvenience, but because of the weight of it all. I am someone who does not like to watch crime or legal shows. It’s just not my thing at all!
There was one person selected for the jury that surprised me, but the others made sense. I feel like if you fly under the radar, you are more likely to be selected.
Honestly, I noticed a lot of things that could be improved from the juror side of things. Many people (me included) don’t understand exactly how these processes work, what we can or cannot bring with us, if the jury needs to be unanimous in order to convict, what time we will get to go home even if we are chosen, etc. I felt like I didn’t have all the information I needed before I went. There apparently was a video we were required to watch to be there, but when 1/3 of us said we did not watch it, they didn’t show it to us. So maybe that would have helped me?!
I hope that if there is a next time, I can feel more confident and less emotional/nervous. My advice is to stay alert and be honest. I feel for anyone who has had to serve as a juror for a case that was even heavier stakes than this one.
Have you ever been on a jury?