Jury duty. There’s a reason they call it a duty right? The first thing that comes to your mind when you get a jury summons is probably whether or not you should throw it away. You have other things you have to do. Your time is valuable. They won’t pick you anyway. There are plenty of other people who can do it.
Trouble is, there aren’t.
On October 4, 2022, the Humboldt Superior Court put out a press release, all but begging Humboldt County citizens to report for jury service, stating that the Court is “…facing a shortage of prospective jurors like we have never seen before.”
Jurors are one of the most important parts of the justice system, both civil and criminal. Litigants are entitled to an impartial jury of their peers to decide their disputes rather than a judge, lawyer, or police officer. This ensures that multiple, impartial minds review the facts of a case in order to come to a decision. This right is so important that it is one of the foundational tenets of our society, listed specifically in the Sixth and Seventh Amendments to the Bill of Rights. It speaks to the ideal that American citizens are equals before the Court, and the ultimate decisions rest in the hands of the people, not those in positions of authority.
As someone who has questioned hundreds of local jurors over the last decade, every time I see a new panel of slightly annoyed, slightly nervous people funneling into a courtroom to potentially sit in judgment of a case, I am always humbled and grateful for the time and attention that is freely given. Now that we live in a world where sitting in a confined space for days at a time is potentially dangerous, seeing those faces head up to the second floor for questioning is more important than ever.
If you are thinking about throwing that summons away because you are too busy or worried about getting sick, think about how important your coming to jury duty really is. It could mean the difference between an innocent person walking or being sentenced to prison forever. It could mean compensating someone for injuries they suffered at the hands of another, settling a property dispute that has been ongoing for years, holding a company responsible for injuring a customer, or convicting a person for a crime that police officers have investigated for years. Think about how court staff, judges, law enforcement, and attorneys have all been essential workers during the pandemic, risking their health to ensure that Humboldt County maintains access to justice.
While the world has changed drastically over the last several years, one thing remains the same. Without jurors who are willing to set aside time in their busy lives to listen to a set of facts that has nothing to do with them, we cannot maintain the freedom we cherish so deeply.
The Zwerdling Law Firm thanks everyone who has served as a juror, especially during the last few years, and joins in the Humboldt Superior Court’s plea for the community to step up and serve. While it may be called a duty, in reality, being able to serve as a juror is a privilege, and one that should not be taken for granted.
-Heidi Holmquist Wells, Partner at The Zwerdling Law Firm and President of the Humboldt County Bar Association