Design · Culture · Spirituality

Some jury duty reflections

I spent the last several days in jury duty for Dekalb County, Georgia, starting on Tuesday and ending on Friday. Because my viewpoint changed over the course of those few days, I want to offer some reflections on the experience. I’m not specifically interested in talking about the trial itself, but rather how it impacted me.

For a little context, I was first notified of my impending jury duty a month or so ago, and was really unhappy about the inconvenience of it. I went to the selection day and spent the day hoping I wouldn’t get selected. I answered the questions, though looking back on them I was not as thoughtful in my answers as I would like to have been. It is possible that some of my answers, had I had more time to think on them, would have disqualified me from serving.

So in light of my feeling of misrepresenting myself on some issues of justice and treatment of the poor and oppressed, and the fact that there are always important things to be done at work, and so on, I was very upset when I got selected. The trial then began on Wednesday.

During one of our breaks during the trial, I happened to speak to Troy Bronsink, who is a dear friend, and told me that he was glad I was on the jury. I didn’t really understand, but then he reminded me that juries need compassionate, critical thinkers and many times do not have them. I was humbled to be referred to in this way, but it really made me look at my task in a different way. Other folks said similar things.

So as the trial progressed, I was able to be constantly reminded of my own role as a seeker of true justice, which I think Dr. Cornel West explains so well when he says, “justice is what love looks like in public.” While I have no illusions about the sanctity of the judicial process, and no illusions that I was engaged in grand practices of activism, it is profound to be reminded that one’s voice can still contribute to justice for the poor, oppressed, and victimized through something like this.

Now, in case you would want to ask, in spite of all this the trial was ruled a mistrial in the end.

2 Comments

  1. Interesting post. An observation that you may find interesting.Your grandfather,my dad’s dad, reportedly hung out at courthouses ,hoping he would chosen to serve on a jury.

  2. Consider this. A fellow was once put on trial for a crime that he did not commit. The initial vote was almost unanimous. Only two folks disagreed. After these two explained their points the entire jury flipped. 100% not guilty. Funny enough that fellow was a multi-millionaire. John F Kennedy was his name. Just imagine if that same situation had taken place today. Would those two have the intestinal fortitude to stand up against their peers with today’s view or the wealthy. It does somewhat take me aback when I realize that many of us who follow the Father’s will (It’s a HECK of a lot easier than having to make EVERY choice all of the time. Nope not always easy to DO what that Will requires. But the decision process is a lot easier.) have been some of the wealthiest people on the planet. (Granted just as in my case I know that the tools Father gives me are his, as am I.) but from the worldly viewpoint these same wealthy people would be raked so often in to days’ society simply because God gave them tools to work his will in this place.

    Well thank you for being a fellow member of the Body of Christ and a hands on go to kind of guy.

    Peace be upon you and your’s,

About the Designer

Jonathan Stegall is a web designer and emergent / emerging follower of Jesus currently living in Atlanta, seeking to abide in the creative tension between theology, spirituality, design, and justice.

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