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Conclusion
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161 Conclusion In the local courthouse, 4:30 p.m. is known as “the witching hour” for jury verdicts. A half an hour more and the jury will need to return for another day of deliberations. I look across at my young client still wringing his hands. He has barely moved from our uncomfortable bench for three days. The courthouse feels empty. A law clerk shuffling papers in the hallway interrupts the stifling silence. I touch my copy of the Constitution for good luck. Will the jury be willing to come back for yet another day of deliberations? The courtroom clerk pokes her head out into the hallway . “We have a verdict,” she announces. My heart beats louder in my chest. I watch my client ease himself off the bench. He neither smiles nor frowns and heads to take his seat in courtroom. He looks to be at peace. Watching him, I wonder if he knows that he could be taking his last 162 / Conclusion few breaths as a free man. I wonder if he has any idea of the trust he, and all of us, have placed in twelve strangers. That moment of worry and faith encapsulates the importance of the jury. If we did not believe in the system of rights, responsibilities, and duties under the Constitution , we would not be willing to enter that courtroom. But we do. The faith to walk through those doors, trusting that twelve citizens will do the hard work to reach a fair verdict , is one of the greatest tributes to the jury system. It happens every day, all across the United States. It happens in the most trivial of cases and the most serious. It is why ordinary Americans trust the system of justice. Even before America was America, juries represented the responsibilities and ideals of citizenship. One cannot find a more honorable lineage than a tradition that dates from the first colony at Jamestown, to the Declaration of Independence, through the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, to the present day. It is our heritage, and a proud one. Every day since that time, people just like you have gotten up, gone to court, and turned from an ordinary citizen into a constitutional citizen. Jury duty represents one of our finest forms of civic engagement. We transform ourselves into constitutional actors. We practice the constitutional values etched in the Constitution even if we do not always recognize the connection. Your service is an example of the values the Founders hoped would be woven into the fabric of the nation’s civic life. Every time you serve as a juror, you become closer to this constitutional spirit; and every time you reflect on and appreciate these principles, you strengthen our constitutional character. This book is but an expression of that character. Your work in the jury room and your presence at the courthouse is its fulfillment. From all of us who practice in [54.211.203.45] Project MUSE (2024-03-28 10:58 GMT) Conclusion / 163 criminal and civil court and try to live up to the constitutional values of a nation, thank you. * * * The values in this book are American values. They are not mere words, but rather demands for action. They are rooted in the text, history, and actions of our fellow citizens . They also require a future commitment. The hope is that this book presents a moment of focused attention on how constitutional rights affect your life in this country . Every morning under the inspiring facade of the local courthouse, you can see the flesh and blood embodiment of civic participation, deliberation, fairness, equality, liberty , accountability, freedom of conscience, and the common good. Waiting in line, dutiful citizens prepare themselves to become constitutional actors. But, of course, they need not wait for jury service. The values exist before and after your civic service. The relevance of those values exist today and every day. All you have to do is read the Constitution. This page intentionally left blank ...