Dear Juror

Jurors are vital to a fair and balanced judicial system.  It is because we can demand that a group of our fellow citizens hear and judge the State's evidence against us that we can have more confidence in the proceedings in our courts.  Yet, not everyone who is selected to serve as a juror take the responsibility as fairly and impartially as they should.  If you are biased for or against a defendant, you should admit and reveal your bias to the judge so that you may be excused in order to preserve the integrity of our judicial system.

A case out of Arizona has caught the eye of many criminal defense attorneys around the nation.  A man was charged with child abuse after his son overdosed and died on prescription medication.  A jury found him guilty of first degree murder, and he now faces the death penalty.  Two jurors have no come forward to say they were bullied and coerced into finding the defendant guilty.  A judge is hearing testimony from all of the jurors now to determine whether to overturn the jury verdict and order a new trial.  The chances of that happening are slim to none, and this defendant may lose his life as a result of jurors not taking their oath of office seriously.

If you are on a jury you have not only the right, but the responsibility to not let others on the jury to dictate to you how to vote.  Although a fictional movie, Twelve Angry Men, is a classic movie about how one juror can influence a jury outcome through dogged adherence to the instruction that he be an independent thinker in the jury room.  

That is not to say that you as a juror should not negotiate and discuss the facts of the case during deliberations.  That is part of the jury process, and should be done.  But, at the end of the day, you should not allow anyone - or everyone - else in the jury room tell you how you have to vote.  Your vote is yours alone, and once you spend it your decision will have consequences for the defendant, our society, and our system of justice.  Spend it carefully and deliberately.  And, thanks for serving as a juror.  You are the reason we have a check and balance against a government run amok.  

Anyone have any experience as a juror?  Tell us about your jury experience in the comment section.