Juries: The Community Conscience in America

There it is.  “Breaking News: Verdict reached!” scrolls along the bottom portion of your television screen or appears as a notification on your newest smart phone.  We have all seen it.  We have all waited in nervous anticipation for it.  We flick to the nearest news channel, turn up the volume, and crowd around the screen as the criminal trial enters the final stretch.  Those final words are then composedly uttered, “We the jury find the defendant…”

A Refreshing Reminder of Why Jury Duty Matters: A Review of Andrew Guthrie Ferguson's Book on Jury Duty

Andrew Guthrie Ferguson, Why Jury Duty Matters: A Citizen’s Guide to Constitutional Action

Google “jury duty” and you will quickly find websites dedicated to teaching you ways to avoid it.  Many websites compare jury duty to getting a cavity filled at the dentist, having to wait in the never-ending line at the Department of Motor Vehicles, or even wrestling an alligator.  In Why Jury Duty Matters, author Andrew Guthrie Ferguson provides an inspiring and educational analysis of the importance of serving as a juror in the United States court system, ultimately reminding us of our civic duty in the context of our constitutional history.