Why do we impanel juries made up of people from the community to decide the outcome of important civil disputes in our country? Other countries leave the decision to one public official.
The answer is we take “just results” too seriously in our country to put those precious eggs in one basket. We choose to harness the power of collective wisdom. When someone from the community says they were wronged, the likelihood of getting the outcome right is much more likely in the hands of a panel of citizens than one public official. The saying “there is strength in numbers’’ is at the heart of America’s commitment to trial by jury.
Is it sacrifice for those people who are chosen to take time out of their busy lives to serve as jurors? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. Most jurors who started out wishing they had not been selected end up glad they were chosen. The gravity of doing justice becomes apparent and reverence for the process of administering it takes hold. All of us who give so much of our lives pursuing justice, owe a big “thank you” to our fellow citizens who give of their valuable time to make it happen.