Jury Duty

It seems odd that we entrust the decision making in much of our judicial system to those who often know the least about the law: us citizens. This thought kept going through my mind two days this week as I was on a jury in a fairly serious arson trial in Baltimore. What exactly is reasonable doubt? Who do you believe on the witness stand? (when at least two of the three main witnesses were drug addicts...) It was a pretty intimidating experience and at times boring, interesting, soporific, and mystifying. The prosecutor was well organized and convincing, while the defense attorney (probably a public defender) seemed unprepared and often like he was making it up as he went along. The judge was rather amusing and kept the attorneys on a pretty short leash, often cutting them off and keeping them from rambling. There are many things I could say about the trial and the seeming inequities of the system, but I will just say this: once we were given the case and went back to deliberate I felt that the system is ultimately pretty fair. The jury was diverse racially, in regards to age, and apparently income and educational level as well. When we began deliberating, I felt that all the relevant issues were hashed out and discussed. We ended up convicting the accused and I'm sure he was sentenced (or will be) to a lot of time, which brings up a whole different question about how we sentence and punish criminals in this country. Ultimately, while it was an interesting experience, I hope I will not have to serve in this capacity again, I have no interest in passing judgment and in some respects, bearing responsibility for someone else's life in such a way.