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The 52-1 District Court, comprising twelve municipalities, strives to improve public justice and welcomes you, our jurors of South Western Oakland County, past, present, and future. More than 200 years ago, the brilliant minds that shaped the federal Constitution gave it a guarantee in the form of the sixth amendment: the right to trial by jury. Why? The short answer is our nation’s founding on a persistent questioning of governmental authority and the institution of “checks and balances” in governing. Through jury trials and other institutional safety measures, the People have a direct say about who has violated the law--civil and criminal--and it’s not one person deciding the facts, it’s six. The deliberative process of a jury trial is about the only place where all people are equal in how they influence the process and its conclusion, no matter where they live, what they do for a living, or their politics. Yes, jury service can be a sacrifice. Jurors who are employed sometimes lose their regular pay and juror pay is very little. Just about everyone who serves is inconvenienced, at least a little. But the importance of service and giving time to the community in this manner cannot be overstated. Thousands of criminal and civil cases require a jury to decide the question of guilt or fault. When people do not respond to jury questionnaires, it reduces the pool of people who should be involved in shaping justice and may even cause a delay in getting cases tried. In most instances, it takes 30 to 40 people to begin to impanel a jury. As jury selection (voir dire) proceeds, jurors are excused until six (and a few alternates) are picked who are not objectionable to either side. Multiply that by the courtrooms around the county that are involved in trying cases, and it adds up quickly. When there is a shortage of available jurors, criminal cases receive priority. In the past, this has caused a delay in taking civil actions to trial because all available jurors were assigned to the criminal courts until it was clear there would be an adequate supply. Delays in civil dispositions can cost parties millions of dollars cumulatively, because the civil courts resolve millions of dollars in disputes annually. That keeps commerce flowing. If businesses and neighbors cannot resolve a dispute because the available jurors are sitting on criminal cases, its impact is felt by many, not simply the parties to the action. The uncertainty of a dispute unresolved creates its own problems, and by ensuring enough people step forward to serve as jurors, 52-1 District Court attempts to facilitate a public justice system that works with relative speed and fairness. There are many improvements the courts and legislature are striving to implement so that service to the community is less difficult and participation is that much greater, a true cross-section of the community. We are aiming to reduce “downtime” and increase efficiency in the service each juror provides. Thank you for participating and keeping the system strong.
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