Lessons from the Jury Room

LESSONS LEARNED IN THE JURY ROOM

After four long days of jury duty, starting on Monday morning, and ending on Thursday night at 8:00 pm, here are a few of the lessons I learned.
Realize, that October is my busy time of year, and, while I don't mind serving on jury duty as a rule, October is not the best time for me.

1. God may disrupt your schedule. Your inconvenience is not as important as His plan.

2. There are twelve jurors for a reason. Every one has a different life story, a different idea as to what is just, and feels pretty strongly about what he considers right and wrong.

3. Complaining about your circumstances in life does not make things better. When the court was going through the final numbering phase, putting the potential jurors in order of possible choice, my prayer had been "Please let me have a high number."
When they assigned the number 2 slot to this really big guy, I knew, that I would be next.
"Number 3. Randall Epps."
I think you could hear my disappointed sigh.

4. Accepting God's plan will bring a measure of peace.
"Okay, God, if this is what you want for me, I know you have a reason. Your will, not mine. But, please, don't make me foreman."

5.First day in jury room. Very little conversation. Most on phones, reading, or calling bosses, or family to let them know that they had been chosen. I was calling all my customers to reschedule the week's work. Judge said trial will probably be through by Wednesday morning. I could do quite a bit of work on Wed afternoon and all day Thursday. We had to go to Dallas on Friday for a wedding. Plenty of time to salvage part of my work week.

6. Don't believe the judge's timeline.

7. Day 2, the trial starts, and immediately your preconceived perceptions of who is probably right begins to change.
JURY room conversations MAY NOT INCLUDE TOTAL TALK.
So chit chat begins.
No bonding.
Shared imprisonment.
Talk of work, some family talk.

8. Day 3, you start to realize, this could take a while. You also start to think about things that are not said as well as things that are.
Jury room conversations begin to be a little more personal.
Tattooed guy with spiked hair has a young son who is in remission from a deadly form of cancer. He took time over summer, without a job to spend the time with his son.
Youngest guy on jury works for Target warehouse, lives in a small apartment, struggles with having enough to pay bills. Likes to party on Friday nights.
Mike loved to talk about the Cowboys. Knew to avoid politics.
Older man lives on Lake Winnsboro, and has killed dozens of copperheads on his property.
Shows pictures.
Young woman whose boss is kinda upset that she is off, says her 7 year old already "knows everything" and that her husband always thinks he is right about everything, and "unfortunately for me, he usually is."

9. Day 4. Are you kidding me? We have to finish today. I have to go to Dallas tomorrow. Cancelled Thursday jobs. Starting to lose the peace.
Jury room.
Everybody is emotionally drained, upset over trial, didn't sleep well.
Someone decides we need to know each other's names.
Johnny, Sean, Galen, Mike, Randy, Michelle, Rebecca, Taylor, Juanita, April, Linda, Shirley, and Vicki. Anyway, there were 13. Someone, we don't know who, is an alternate. Hears the whole trial, doesn't get to deliberate.
Judge reads charge to jury, closing arguments by lawyers, juror instructions, including choosing the foreman .
Judge says to Taylor, "Ms._______, you will need to remain here."
I whisper to her, "It's been nice knowing you."
"Don't say that!" she responded, a bit of fear in her eyes.(She hadn't yet realized that she was the alternate.)
We retired to the jury room to choose a foreman, and begin deliberations.


10. God doesn't always answer your prayers the way you want .
Sean, the young guy, said, "I am willing to be foreman, if no one else volunteers."
I kept quiet.
A couple of people said they definitely did not want to do it. One of the ladies asked  me, "What about you, Randy? Would you do it?"
(Silent scream!)
"I wasn't going to volunteer, but if y'all vote me in, I am willing to serve." (Seriously, Lord? You think I need to do this, too?)
Unanimous. I am it.

11. There is a strength that comes from above. There is an ability that God provides when he chooses a job for you.
Five and a half hours of deliberations.
We were able to merge our opinions, beliefs and come to a conclusion.

12. Forced closeness can build friendships.
When it was all over, we had turned in our judgment to the court and were waiting to be called back into the courtroom, I was able to share my Jesus with the other jurors, in a personal, natural conversation about my daughter's life, and the circumstances behind our raising my granddaughter.
I really felt like we had become friends, even though we didn't know each other's last name.
Close friends.
Thanks, Lord.
You knew all along.