It seems like any other day. Until, to your surprise, you get the notice in the mail: Jury duty.
But instead of immediately plotting ways to get out of it, consider why jury service is so important to our way of life. Of almost 200 countries worldwide, only around 50 protect their citizens with criminal trials by jury; only the U.S. promises jury trials for civil cases.
Did you know there are also no jury summons during Thanksgiving week or the last two weeks of December?
Serving on a jury is among the most important civic contributions you can make to our community. The right to serve provides you with a glimpse into the judicial branch of government, which, unlike the executive and legislative branches, operates largely out of sight behind closed doors, increasing accountability.
We need you because the courts in Broward County are extremely busy: Almost 200,000 people are summoned annually to the 17th Judicial Circuit to serve on an estimated 600 jury trials. However, few people realize that the average trial requires only about two days of juror time.
No one disputes that this civic duty can be inconvenient, and you can be excused in certain instances.
Here are some of the acceptable reasons: parents of newborns within the past six months, parents with sole custody of a child under five, or expectant parents who are not employed full-time; individuals 70 and older or responsible for caring for someone who can’t care for themselves; persons with a physical, mental or intellectual disability; and full-time students between the ages of 18 and 21.
Even individuals with temporary challenges or those who need more time to plan can postpone jury duty for six months. Think about what you have to offer. A lot of what goes into a jury’s decision-making involves jurors’ individual and collective life experiences, common sense and varying perspectives. That is why the law promises a jury of our peers, representative of the community. That’s why your service matters so much.
Judges welcome jurors to our courtrooms with a brief overview of the context for their service. After a verdict is rendered and the trial concludes, we meet briefly with our jurors to thank them for serving.
Without exception, jurors tell us their experience was personally rewarding. They consistently say they feel valued, proud and patriotic to be part of such a crucial, uniquely American process. Many form friendships with other jurors.
Seldom in life do adults have the opportunity to set aside their home and work responsibilities for a few days and participate in something much bigger than themselves.
We hope people who are summoned will enthusiastically embrace this important civic responsibility with the knowledge that service is critical to fulfilling our nation’s promise of justice.
Shari Africk-Olefson, Kenneth Gillespie, Florence Taylor Barner and Jose Izquierdo are Broward County circuit court judges.
