Jury Duty Fuels Democracy

For the average person, theres nothing worse than receiving a jury summons in the mail. The list of reasons as to why they cannot appear for jury duty seems endless. Nevertheless, the right to a trial by jury is a cornerstone of our democracy and one of the greatest services given to our citizens. Jury service is by no means perfect, however, it is undoubtedly the service most likely to yield fair results while delivering justice for all. We all have the right to be tried by a jury of our peers. When considering jury duty, it is important to remember if jury duty was not mandatory, there would likely be very few jurors or the same peers” serving as jurors for everyone.

Follow these three steps once youve been summoned for jury duty:

1) Confirm receipt of your jury summons.

2) Complete and return the jury form.

3) Submit questions or your requests to be excused to semc2juryduty@gmail.com 

For any jury summons you receive going forward, remember this. You have the opportunity to make a substantial contribution to your democracy while ensuring your own right to a trial by jury.