While jury duty may feel like an inconvenience, Craig Isom shares why it’s important and encourages people to participate.
“Jury duty.” Just saying those two words can make most people groan. I get it. I’ve been summoned several times and served twice in my 30 years in Contra Costa County, including a recent trial. The time commitment can range from an inconvenience to serious hardship, depending on your circumstances.
If you haven’t served as a juror yet, I do hope you will consider my experience if your number is called. Everyone has a sense for the importance of this civic responsibility. But when you sit in that jury box on the first day, the real impact of the role hits you right between the eyes. You and your jury peers are being asked to sift through competing testimony and conflicting evidence and ideally reach consensus judgment which will have a significant impact on others’ lives. No one wants to get this wrong.
So, it all comes down to the jury’s deliberations at the end. Not surprisingly in Contra Costa County, my fellow jurors represented very diverse life experiences. I privately wondered as we began, will this group be able reach consensus? And then the magic happened. We took turns sharing our thoughts. We listened to each other carefully and respectfully, probing for mutual understanding. And slowly in this process, we found ourselves gravitating toward a shared view of the evidence. A view we each helped develop and could personally support. I felt a sense of relief in the quality of our consensus decisions when compared to the uncertainties of my personal position at the outset of the trial.
We were so much better together than alone. From this experience, I learned to engage rather than avoid those who might not share your thinking, approach others with humility and respect, and have confidence in our shared humanity.