I had Jury duty this week. It was a pretty cool experience. There where some things that really impressed me..
When you take 12 people and lock them in an unusual situation together, the social network builds pretty fast. Soon, you know where people went to school, all of your mutual aquintances etc. I have heard some other people make this observation as well. When you have 12 people working towards a common goal, and you are given limited guidence in how to reach that goal, it is pretty amazing how well people bond.
It is hard to see how unloved the criminal element in our society is. There is nobody there for them. In the case that I was on, the defendant's own brother was testifying against him. I about cried. Not because it was wrong for the brother to do, but because when your own brother given up on you, you have to be a very lonely helpless man.
I was surprized that 3 cops, can witness the exact same incident, and tell three very different stories. Human perception is a very blurry lens. Especially when the cameramen are engaged in a battle for their lives.
Sometimes an instantanous decision can effect the rest of your life. This is why it is important to have principles. If you are not in the practice of doing the right thing, you could make one selfish desision in a 5 second series of events that can cost you dearly.
Finally, Sometimes consequence comes from absolutely irrational sources. If a defendant testifies on the stand can have a huge impact on whether he is convicted or not. Is the just consequence that a defendant faces a consequence of doing the crime in the first place, or is a consequence of saying the wrong thing on the witness stand? Sometimes unfortunately it is the later. I find peace in the fact that God's hand is working in this process.