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We the jury… - County celebrates Juror Appreciation Week

By Casey Godwin

It could happen when you least expect it. One minute you’re casually walking through the front door sifting through the pile of junk mail the mail carrier just dumped in the mailbox, and the next you’re making that uncomfortable phone call explaining why you need two days off work. You have been summoned for jury duty.

Dan Robitaille of Kirkwood is likely more prepared than most. Having received the dreaded notice of jury duty no less than 18 times, he has a form letter all ready to be mailed back.

“It states that it would be a great loss both economically and in opportunity for me not to attend a business meeting scheduled out of town,” said Robitaille. “I always mention non-refundable plane tickets.”

Non-refundable plane tickets sits near the top of the list of excuses St. Louis County Circuit Judge Robert Cohen hears.

“I’ve heard a lot of excuses but I think most people have legitimate reasons as to why they can’t serve,” said Cohen, who has been a county judge for 33 years.

Many St. Louis County judges are participating in Missouri Juror Appreciation Week, which continues through May 2.

Through the years, other states and communities have found a number of creative ways to celebrate jury service. Some courthouses decorate areas with banners that announce the week; others hold brief ceremonies and invite the media to cover the events; and some go out of their way to welcome jurors with home-baked treats, free snacks or mementos.

This week as potential jurors wait through the selection process in St. Louis County, they’ll be rewarded with goodies such as candy and games. Above all else, they’ll leave knowing their time was valued.

“Our system of justice would shut down without jurors,” said St. Louis County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Carolyn Whittington. “People rely on the fact that there will be 12 people deciding the issues fairly.”

Whittington, who has been with the county for 16 years, praises the residents of St. Louis County for taking juror duty seriously.

“In all the time I’ve been here, I can’t remember one outrageous excuse from someone,” said Whittington. “People here really see the importance in serving.”

Tonya Vernon of St. Louis was excited when she discovered that she was selected for jury duty.

“I do feel every citizen has the duty to serve on jury if summoned,” Vernon said. “If I were on the other side I would want a jury of my peers, so I have no problem with serving.”

Vernon spent an entire day at the court house and ended up not being selected. The tedious process left her at little disheartened and hoping to not be chosen again for a long time.

“I now understand the horrors of jury duty,” Vernon said. “Do not put me in a courtroom for six hours and not expect me to fall asleep. Provide some caffeine for the willing folk.”

Whittington said the process can be long, but it is necessary and the county does its best to move it along.

“We try to send people home as quickly as possible to make sure we don’t keep them from their jobs or home longer than necessary,” Whittington said.

So what does it mean to be summoned for jury duty? In St. Louis County, a person is expected to allow for up to two days for the selection process. A pool of jurors is chosen randomly from a list of registered voters and those who have a driver’s license. The jurors come in on Monday or Wednesday so that judges who need jurors for a trial will have the opportunity to pick from sometimes 200 or more people.

If chosen, a juror then goes immediately to trial. The average trial in St. Louis County lasts about two and a half days. However, Whittington presided over a trial last year that lasted from August to November.

“The people who served on that jury, I will remember for the rest of my life because they were so wonderful to set aside such important things in their lives to sit on that trial,” Whittington said.

Kyle Stein was selected as a juror in a civil case that lasted almost three days.

“When I was picked I suddenly panicked because I knew I would be trading a couple days of pay at my job for it,” Stein said. “I don’t regret doing it now and I would do it again.”

While employers are not required to pay for time off during jury duty, they are required by law not to terminate or discipline an employee who has been selected. Jury pay is $10 a day or $18 a day if chosen to participate in a trial. In St. Charles County, it’s $20 per day.

Not only is it considered a civic duty, it is mandatory to attend unless previously excused. Failing to appear can lead to a fine of up to $500 or a sentence of community service.

“Jury duty should not be mandatory as there are many reasons why an individual may suffer by being forced to attend,” said Robitaille. “Those who take off work may lose potential income.”

Nicole Shelledy of Webster Groves was summoned for grand jury duty. A grand jury determines if there is enough evidence for a trial. In order to make her date, she had to take time off from both her job and classes at University of Missouri – St. Louis.

“I do feel it’s my duty to serve and wouldn’t mind serving if I worked for an employer that reimbursed me,” Shelledy said.

For all the waiting and pressure placed on jurors, Cohen said they deserve to be appreciated.

“We appreciate their time and I think they understand the value it has,” said Cohen.

“I think all eleven people that I served alongside probably felt the way I did in the beginning,” Stein said. “I believe we did our job the best we knew how and that, to me, is what justice is about.”