In the end the facts and evidence spoke for themselves and almost unanimously (in civil cases we needed 10 out of the 12 votes) we became objective after all.
After six days of hearing testimony our deliberations as a jury took about an hour and a half and the verdict was cast. As I walked away from City Hall I felt a twinge of melancholy bidding the other jurors farewell. I ambled slowly and thoughtfully towards my train leaving behind the work we had done together as a group of random individuals, plucked from the street, from different walks of life, professions, cultures, colors, ages, education levels, SES, genders, shapes and sizes.
It occurred to me that democracy in the United States is a beautiful thing. Indeed, it was an awesome feeling having participated in justice being done.
I wandered into my home and headed straight for the garden. Laying down my bag I reached for the hose and watered the flowers. Molly and Ada sat staring at me, sun shining all around. "I was a juror for six days," I thought to myself. During that time we were really important. In fact I think I will miss Mark, our Court Marshall, crying, "All rise as the jury enters the court!" Just as I will miss the judge's gentle, firm and respectful demeanor, and sharing cough drops with Juror #2 who sat to my right each day from nine to five.
As I write this note I think to myself, "Citizen Tamarika ..." And, well, yes ... I am proud ... really proud.
Hello there tarakuanyin,
Thanks for stopping by. I am sure that the jury experience is often not as satisfactory as mine turned out to be in the end. I lucked out with the group, judge, court Marshall, and even the case I was involved with. I look forward to reading about yours. Let us know when you post it.
Natalie,
There were two jurors who did not agree with the rest of us and I felt the furstration they must have been feeling. I know I would have been very frustrated if the verdict had gone their way!
Oh joared, you are so right. When I became a citizen in 1996 and received my voting card, I was so excited that I laminated it! However, I have always taken citizenship very seriously wherever I have landed. Am sometimes a little too intense and passionate about these things. I was especially impressed with how serious and responsible the other jurors were. It was very, very interesting indeed!
Posted by: tamarika | June 15, 2006 at 07:58 AM
I came here via Patry's site. I think I'll blog about my own jury experience, which was very different from yours. It has to do, I suppose, with different places, different cases, and the chemistry of different people. I was happy to read of an experience in which the system worked.
Posted by: tarakuanyin | June 14, 2006 at 10:18 AM
Hi Tamarika - having changed the name of your blog on my blogroll, I sometimes forget to check back on what's happening here. Very interesting to hear of how your jury experience affected you. I felt much the same when I served twice, several years ago, here in London. But in both cases, my judgement was opposite to what the other jurors thought. I was the odd one out and we deliberated for hours - in one case, I felt the offender was innocent, the others said: guilty. And vice-versa in the next one. I realised for the first time how difficult the whole concept of justice is and how glad I was not to be in the legal profession.
Posted by: Natalie | June 14, 2006 at 04:52 AM
What a beautifully written tribute to our system of justice in this country. As imperfect as it may be at times, I firmly believe there are many more times when justice is served.
Certainly, any of us who have served on jury duty know in our hearts we have done our best to meet the obligation we have for the priviledge of living in this country.
We've tried to provide the attention and concern for the facts to the best of our abilities, just as we would want others to do, should we ever find ourselves as the accused or the accuser.
One other obligation we have is to be informed and to vote our conscience in elections. I was saddened this past Primary election day when only approx. 27% of eligible voters in our community exercised that priviledge.
I have sometimes found new citizens in this country take these responsibilities
more seriously than some of us who have been citizens here for generations.
Posted by: joared | June 14, 2006 at 01:54 AM