JUROR NUMBER 43 REPORTING
By. Tereasa Sanders-Halligan November 2010
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Jury Duty = A Hand that Holds Another's Life.
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I've just finished my term of jury duty for Canyon County in the State of Idaho.
I write this in hopes that it will be cathartic.
When I was first summoned to potentially serve on jury duty I was not happy. Though my life is not a busy one, it is still my life and I like it fine the way it works. Jury duty was going to disturb my routines and I was not a happy camper.
When I received the call to attend court and participate in Voir Dire*
I felt perhaps I would be lucky and not be chosen. I went in righteously and with honesty but hoped they might find something about me that was unacceptable and would set me free.
I was nervous. I had not lead a pristine life. I had some experience in matters similar to the case I might have to serve on. Surely I would be released.
I was chosen along with 12 other people to serve.
I accepted this with some disappointment and maybe just a little bit of pride. I am not sure where the pride came in, but have to truthfully admit that it was there. Perhaps a subliminal patriotic feeling of being fit to meet my civic duty?
Almost immediately after being chosen, we were seated and the judge allowed the case to be presented to us.
Let me set the scenario a little before I continue. 13 strangers are seated on fairly uncomfortable chairs in a gallery raised a little above the spectator and participant levels. I had always wondered why it was that jurors always had stern expressions on their faces when I'd seen them on TV. Had the court instructed them to wear a poker face before proceeding? Nobody instructed us as to facial expressions. The attorneys, the judge, and the defendant as well as witnesses etc. monitor our expressions constantly perhaps in order to determine how their words and evidence affect us. I wore the straight face for 3 days during this trial I did not want anyone to be able to read me and assume that I was leaning their way or not until I had been able to process the information coming my way. I did not want any to assume that I would be convinced without having all of the evidence and the whole story presented and processed fairly in my mind. I must wear a fair and impartial face until all is said and done. Let me tell you, it is not easy to force a stiff face for that length of time. There were times when I wanted to smile at one or the other of the attorneys in order to let them know their point had been made or that their evidence made sense to me. I could not do that and still appear impartial and so I stiffened up my lip and carried on. This solves the mystery of Juror poker face.
Ours was a case of a battered woman. A case of an alleged woman beater. **
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