Jury System Has its Merits

To The Editor:
Innocent until proven guilty. Do we all understand the depth of that statement?
We have all been recipients of that blue and yellow form that usually arrives on our mail pile at the most inconvenient times. Try hard as we may to come up with creative excuses to disregard our civic duty, it is our first reaction. Stop and think very hard before deciding to see what disqualifier you may be eligible to engage.
Having recently experienced jury duty, I realized that one is to be considered lucky to be afforded a jury of his/her peers. A jury that actually puts aside personal concerns and takes the responsibility that one is charged with.
I have made observations that were alarming and refreshing. Out of close to 70 selected, it is 14 open-minded people that this group is required to net. I was astonished at the chore that this would become.
A packed full room of people who are disgruntled at best is what we begin with. Sitting in a courtroom and viewing the ominous surroundings can probably knock out the first layer.
Next is reading of the charges and first glance of the accused. Well that right there is where the process of open minded and responsible thinking comes to a screeching halt and preconceived judgments takeover. You can pretty much empty a room by 50 percent due to the prejudices that are formed in all of our minds from the life experiences brought to the room on any given day.
Through the questioning process, a few more potential jurors who have pressing life issues are allowed to state their situations, and reasonable weight is given by a judge, and most likely given a pass for this time. Fair and reasonable.
We are then posed a number of questions that indicate our ability to be fair and impartial. It is one’s abilities to carry out a duty that is truly being sought. These questions being posed are those of life lessons, situations experienced and the measure of a potential juror to be open minded.
Tough job. This is no doubt one of the most important services that you will ever be asked to perform for a perfect stranger.
The room again is sure to dwindle a good deal at this point once again. A room of close to 100 is holding 14 in a jury box, and probably six holding their breath at the prospect of being asked to step up in replacement of another removed at the interview.
Finally after grueling precision on the part of the judge and both attorneys as well as many hours later, one will sit facing 14 that are the to be considered the best possible unbiased candidates to afford the court a vehicle toward the due process.
I shutter to think if the system required 15. It is incumbent upon us all to recognize the duty, however inconvenient. This process was adopted because there was a day in our land that there was an expectation its citizens and its citizens expected the same from each other when facing prosecution themselves to ensure justice prevailed.
No one is asking anyone to be a judge of someone’s actions but to merely listen to facts. Innocent until proven guilty is the premise and beyond a reasonable doubt is the baseline of which criminal guilt is to be proven. I have no interest in elaborating on the details of the case only to say that thank God America employs the principle of innocent until proven guilty in the court room.
CHRISTA WEIS
North Cape May