You open the mailbox and there it is: a jury summons. If your first reaction is a groan, I understand. But I want to let you in on something I tell everyone who asks me about jury duty. This is exciting. You are about to be handed more power than almost any citizen ever holds.
The worst part is the parking
This truth holds for most courthouses across the country: the most stressful part of the entire experience is finding a parking spot. Once you make it through the doors, the security guards are incredibly kind, and they will point you in the right direction.
From there, you will head to a big, clearly marked jury waiting area. You will watch a short orientation video, and you will be sworn in for the first time (at least in Dallas County). There is a lot of waiting around, so bring a book. Then, when your group is called, you will be taken up to a particular courtroom. That is where the real fun happens.
Just answer openly and honestly
Once your panel is seated in the courtroom, the questioning starts. Lawyers call this voir dire, an old French phrase meaning “to speak the truth.” Despite the fancy name, nothing tricky is happening. The judge and the lawyers simply want to know a little about you: your experiences, your opinions, and whether anything in your life would make it hard for you to be fair in this particular case.
You do not need to study. You cannot get an answer wrong. All you have to do is answer openly and honestly, and the lawyers will do the rest.
You have more power than the governor
Before any juror ever steps into a courtroom, I wish they knew how big a deal it is to be chosen for a case. If you are selected, you are given a huge amount of responsibility. For that case, you have more power than the governor of the state. The governor cannot decide it. No senator, no president, no CEO in a corner office can substitute their judgment for yours on the facts. You and your fellow jurors are the sole decision makers on the outcome.
That is a big responsibility, and not everybody can handle it. But for the few who walk through the door and answer the call, the outcome of that case is now in your hands.
Answering the call
The right to a jury trial is written into the United States Constitution twice: once for criminal cases and once for civil cases. The founders insisted on it because they believed the most important decisions in a courtroom should belong to ordinary citizens, not to the powerful. When you serve on a jury, you are governing.
When the summons arrives, I hope you answer the call. The system does not work without you.