Today I had my first experience with being selected for jury duty. Fortunately I was unable to serve because Dad is starting his new treatment. But I must say my first experience with the whole process was not a good one.
I always believed, very naively, that a defendant was to be tried by a jury of his peers. I learned that is not true -- at least in the district court that is not true. The defendant in this case was young(abt 23), no more than a high school education, from rural Franklin County, & a working class family.
The jury pool was made up of about 95% college graduates(of whom 50% must have had post graduate degrees), about 98% urban (Johnson County) residents, about 98% upper middle class, & about 98% middle aged.
I don't know if this pool of people were an advantage or a disadvantage for him. I don't know if he is guilty or innocent.
But I am sure this jury did not represent a sprectrum of the community or a spectrum of that young man's community.
2 comments:
I absolutely agree with you, they are not his peers. Also, this is a great blog, and very insightful. I will be checking it often! this is elizabeth
I absolutely agree with you, they are not his peers. Also, this is a great blog, and very insightful. I will be checking it often! this is elizabeth
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