You know the type.
Cell phone rings and is answered by the type of person who wants all within a one mile radius to hear the phone conversation.
As a member of a recent jury pool, I had listened to this self-important potential juror dish on his cell during "comfort breaks" for three straight days.
Mostly, alot of insurance agent talk...blah, blah, blah.
What I didn't expect to hear as the attorneys zeroed in on the final jury selection behind closed doors was this conversation starter:
"Yeah, I'm on jury duty. Sex pervert."
Ok. After three days of the "innocent until proven guilty" jury pep talk, certainly I had misunderstood the words booming out of this guy's mouth.
Apparently, the unseen caller must have experienced the same difficulty as I.
"Jury duty," Booming Man reiterated. "I'm on jury duty. A sex pervert."
And this guy had previously acted as jury foreman for some other poor sap twenty years prior.
I'm slightly stunned because I sort of believe the best in people. It's my Achilles heel.
We are called back into the courtroom where the judge announces success. A jury has been seated.
And guess who is part of the jury?
Yep. Booming Man with the Predetermined Prejudice.
I'm not certain what to do with what I've overheard. This is my first time through jury duty. As I watch the chosen jury empanelled, my fight or flight response kicks in. I'm exhausted, dismayed, and feel I've dodged some sort of bullet as a unselected juror.
I just want to go home.
I wrestled with Booming Man's comments during the drive back to my normal life. My ethics are simply jarred. I discuss my concerns with my family and decide to report the conversation by phone to the jury clerks. These wonderful ladies-who pumped up an apathetic captive citizenry each and every day-were as dismayed as I. The integrity of the system had been compromised on their watch.
The incident would be reported to the judge.
My hopes are Booming Man will be kicked to the curb and an alternate juror appointed.
My initial impression of jury duty was the fine caliber of those randomly selected persons who comprised the jury pool. Although people from all walks of life, all professed to believe that the defendant deserved his day in court, that by pleading not guilty, he definitely was innocent until proven guilty.
I was encouraged by this group. Encouraged that such people existed in a world that views Americans as horribly intolerant of others.
My thoughts turned to how my life led me to the moment Booming Man broadcast his unabashed prejudicial statements to all those within three football fields of earshot.
I was meant to hear those words....because I do believe that every man or woman has their day in court.
I believe the words of Atticus Finch, "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view."
I acted in the shadow of the jury by allowing my firmly intact ethics to guide me across this breach of uttered vocal contempt towards a defendant who faced several serious assault charges.
Maybe I'm just a moron.
But I'm an ethical moron.
Potential jurors. What kind of man (or woman) are you?
As a potential juror, assess your capacity to sit in judgement of another. If you can't handle that responsibility, voice that concern during jury selection.
Honesty sits high on the Judge List of Ten Top Juror Virtues.
Justice may be blind, but her ears remain open.
And leave your cell phone in the car.