I see it all the time on several forums I go on. People freak out because they get a letter from their county clerks office stating they've been called for jury duty. These same people will complain about crime rates and how the system is a joke. Well let me tell you something, if you shirk your duty as a juror, you have no business complaining when people get off easy.
When I served all the jurors were wanting a quick verdict. They were completely worried about their pay. Yeah I get it, you don't get paid much to be there. But just maybe you and your family will be safer if you actually did your job. Isn't that worth more than one days pay?
I would hope, if I was at that defendants stand that a juror would actually look at the facts and laws and base their opinion on the evidence instead of just calling it guilty and going about your day. I know in the case I served for several years ago, the man was being charged with attacking a police officer and drunk in public. He slipped and fell while they were putting him in the police car. It was loose gravel and his foot hit the guy in the hand. I know it was loose gravel because I've fallen in this particular parking lot myself several times. The officers hand was just a little red in the evidence picture. While I'm sure it hurt, not even my daughter would cry and whine like a baby like this cop was doing. They made it out to be such a grievous charge, when really he was guilty for what they were arresting him for but they wanted to add 5 years for slipping and falling.
This is 5 years of a persons life. No one is perfect. But he didn't deserve to miss out on 5 years of his life, 5 years of his spouses life, 5 years of his children's lives because of one little mistake that is fixed with a little kiss on a boo boo.
I'm telling you all this because I was happy to have made a difference in this persons life. I was happy to be apart of a process that hopefully would teach him a lesson so he wouldn't put himself in that position to begin with. Yeah, he may drink in public again. But at least I know I did my part. If more people would do their part, then perhaps the system would work a little better.
