A word about Juries and the American Judicial System

Anger has spread throughout the land. An anger that's insinuated it's way into the collective consciousness of an alarming number of people who've been quick to find fault in a system that will allow what they perceive to be a murderer to walk free.

They place blame on the twelve who reached a decision in what can only be described as an unenviable task assigned to them. These twelve men and women are finding themselves ostracized and even threatened for the verdict they reached based on the evidence and testimony presented in court.

Jury duty is, to many, a quite distasteful job which they shy away from and use any means at their disposal to avoid, much as one avoids the bubonic plague. It seems, however that those who shun this civic responsibility are the ones who are quick to criticize those who do serve and condemn them when the decision they reach does not meet with the approval.

Many are called but few serve simply because trial lawyers have created a system of selection called Voir(e) Dire, which they state means "to tell the truth". This procedure allows lawyers on both sides to eliminate any who may adversely affect their planned prosecution or defense. However, there is a small point of semantics that I've always taken issue with the French Term Voir Dire properly transliterated in the common vernacular simply means "I understand what you're saying". The problem, as I see it, is that most attorneys at law do not understand what people are saying; mainly because it's entirely too simple for them to understand.

But, I digress. The main topic is the procedure and rules that all juries have to operate under in order to arrive at a decision. After being selected and approved each juror must take an oath prescribed by each jurisdiction Once that oath is administered the trial begins.

Once the trial is completed the judge then issues Instructions to the Jury in which he thorough explains the law pertaining to the case and charge the jury to decide the case upon it's merits based on evidence and testimony presented at trial and to disregard anything else, especially any emotion that would taint a decision.

Those who have never served can't even begin to fathom the full scope of the responsibility facing each juror. They cannot begin to realize the degree of integrity and impartial judgement that is required to decide what are and aren't valid facts in a case. Once they reach a decision it should not be questioned less chaos and violence reign

Many who are felt to be guilty by popular opinion and found innocent in a court of law are often ostracized and threatened but this is not proper in a civilized society. Rather it is best to remember that the guilty will flee when no one pursues them and in the end if they are indeed guilty they will soon self destruct and true justice will be served.