Jury Duty

Remember that even Jesus' most scathing denunciation - a blistering diatribe against the religious leaders of Jerusalem in Matthew 23 - ends with Christ weeping over Jerusalem. Compassion colored everything He did.  John MacArthur

This week I had the opportunity to see our judicial system at work.  I am not sure how it happens but every year at this time I receive my summons for jury duty.  My husband receives one in random years but I receive one every year like clockwork.   So I was selected out of 600,000 names.  Last time I checked the population of Dallas is over 1.2 million so why does my name get pulled every year?  It always amazes me how much time is wasted in the process.  I always arrive early because when you have jury duty in Dallas County, you are arriving with approximately 2000 other people to serve and parking is a nightmare in downtown Dallas.  I say 2000 and that is an estimate because the numbers went up to 3000 and if you calculate how many people don’t show up that probably makes about 2000 of us sitting in the same room. 

You do get to see a movie and they try to make it better by using local newscasters to narrate but it is not an academy award winner and once you’ve seen it one time you really don’t want a repeat performance.  They have a check in process and on this day there were three windows but only two open so you can imagine the lines.  I had plenty of time to think about the process so I came up with a few time saving things they could do to make things more efficient. 

Everyone who receives a summons gets a sheet with a bar code on it.  The little ladies behind the desk take your sheet and scan it with a bar code reader.  I am thinking a little signage would help and maybe a freestanding barcode reader.  The first sign for one line could say, “If you registered online or by mail step up to the barcode reader and scan your form.  I already know how to do this because the grocery store trained me.  The second sign would read “Questions”.  The third sign would say “Pick the line that best matches your situation.”

So you are expected to be in your seat in the jury room by 8:30am.  So I am sitting in the jury room reading my Kindle.  Finally around 8:45 the lights dim and the movie comes on.  The movie covers all sorts of topics.  Who can serve and who can’t, if you are too old or too young, why it is important to serve, and it even covers your mental capacity to serve.  Once the movie is over there is a 20 minute break.  

Then a young lady comes out and there is an eraser board easel at the front of the room and she starts to write down the court numbers, presiding judges and floors they are located on.  Since there were a lot of cases scheduled for the day this process took a while.  I was thinking if they already know this information, and they must, why don’t they have that already listed on the board prior to us getting there.

We then go through orientation.  This part covers how parking is not free, where the cafeteria is and that they only accept cash in the cafeteria.  Since they only accept cash, orientation tells you where the ATM’s are in the building and you get directions to the cafeteria.  You learn where the bathrooms, vending machines and water fountains are, how to get Dart passes validated and they even tell you when you go to the cafeteria or the hallways you are not to discuss the case being presented.  Once this orientation is complete we get another 20 minute break. 

The lady then starts selecting groups of numbers for the various courts.  Since there was only one small eraser board at the front of the room she ran out of room so she had to erase and rewrite the cases smaller so she could fit more on the board. When your number comes up all the jurors in the group are required to go to the front of the room and get a juror badge.

 

As I watched this process I thought of the purpose of the process.  It is intended to give a person who has committed a crime the opportunity for his/her peers to judge their actions in an impartial manner and decide whether the person is guilty or not. 

This made me think of Jesus.  He was judged and found guilty.  His guilty sentence was not based on truth or facts. Jesus was sinless and died for our sin not His.  Pontius Pilate bowed to popular demand and crucified an innocent man.  People testified against Him, Judas betrayed Him and Peter denied knowing Him, and yet he still showed compassion to those who accused Him.  I want to be more like Him.  I have a long way to go but I will continue to strive for that goal. 

       

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I want to be more like Jesus.  I live in a sinful world and it is so easy to get drawn into what the world does and to forget what you placed me here for. Give me the strength and courage to become more like Jesus.    

Scripture: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’” Matthew 23:37-39