Monday, June 8, 2015

"Countdown to blast off" Day 15: SHOW UP!

There is a saying, I don't know where it comes from, that says something along the lines of "no matter what, get up, dress up, show up" or something like that. I received this link this morning from a senior attorney in our office

 

It is quite an interesting read and, after practicing in the South for over 5 years now, not a surprising one. What was surprising to me was my reaction to it. I was angry!

But not with the prosecutors.

One of my younger brothers, well into his 30's now, received a jury summons a few weeks ago at my mothers house. She told him about it, I told him about it, his girlfriend told him about it and then my mother told him about it again. The day for him to report for jury duty came and went. Not only did he not pick up the jury summons, but he didn't bother to show up for jury duty. How could he, he didn't know where he was supposed to go or when he was supposed to be there. And that pisses me off.

I have eagerly awaited the day I receive a jury summons in the mail. It could be the trial geek in me showing but I would LOVE to sit on a jury.* I have had 14 birth anniversaries since I turned 21 and I have yet to receive a jury summons. I have, however, sat at counsel table and looked out in the jury pool only to see that a good number of people have failed to respond to the summons. Most of them, black.



So why did this article make me mad at someone other than the prosecutors? Racist people are going to be racist. That is just the way things are until they change. But when you, Mr. Black & Mrs. Black Woman don't even bother to show up for jury duty-it's one less hurdle for the racist prosecutors to jump over in order to get their "pure" and perfect jury.

The article is interesting, the article is very real, but the actions in the article would probably be a lot less possible, if more of "us" got up, dressed up, and showed up for jury duty.

Until next time,
Be blessed, be careful, never consent and never confess.

~LT





*I would love to sit on a jury in the ideal case. The ideal case being one in which all attorney's involved actually know the rules of evidence, don't whine like babies when the judge rules against them, are civil towards one another and don't deliver opening statements or closing arguments that put you to sleep or make you want to gouge your eyes out. I'm sure that is why the Universe has not placed me on a jury yet.

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