By Mary Goetsch
Aurora
I was shocked and upset to receive a jury summons to appear for jury duty all the way to the 16th Circuit Judicial Center, west of Randall Road in St. Charles. I always have disqualified myself on the written questionnaires. My reasoning is that unwilling or unsuitable jurors would be disqualified during Voir Dire, anyway. Why have anybody go over there only to be sent home?
Any jury verdicts by coercion or harassment surely would be thrown out upon appeal. What really shocked me was the pay notice on back side of the return portion stub. Pay is $10 for the day, plus mileage of $.575 each mile. In my case, that would be about $22 round trip, plus the $10 pay. It does not compensate for the increased risks of driving on account of road rage, traffic problems brought on by COVID shot vaccination centers, food distributions, and violence. It is $10 for a day of anxiety, fear, and a place I do not want to be; it is not only unfair to seniors, but is illegal. Illinois minimum wage has been $11 per hour since January 1. It is customary to pay for a four-hour shift in the event it is only a short time.
There may be the thought that retirees ought to be volunteering, or working, because they have spare time. I beg to differ with this point of view. I cherish every day and spend my time on pursuits of my choice. Every day is closer to my last day. It is wrong to believe senior-citizen time is cheap, or of little value. It is wrong to be used in some judicial system only for the government’s convenience.
Ultimately, I was excused this time, only because it is a pandemic and I fall into the vulnerable to COVID-19 population. I was told that the next time around, I could be excused only by way of a doctor’s slip. I certainly object as a free citizen where health exams so far are not a government mandate.
So, what is the solution to the apparent need for jurors to work jury duty? I suggest having juries of one person, similar to the judge bench-trial format. A second juror should be summoned only to be the alternate. Think about it. Eliminate the time spent getting 12 jurors to agree. The law is so codified and there is detail about what evidence can be used and not used. There are instructions and it seems to me the jury is close to being little more than a rubber stamp of approval. It is fairly simple to discern whether the state has met the burden of proof beyond reasonable doubt.
Now, for grand juries, I have little to suggest other than perhaps using a different pool of potential jurors. How about the citizen police accountability boards? Most townships have something similar to what Aurora recently accomplished with the citizens police accountability board.
With that kind of anti-American attitude, the attitude that one need not contribute to society yet reap the benefits of justice, I am glad that you were not selected to be a juror. I hope that if you are ever in a position where you seek justice, your jurors are more willing to do what is right.