I am #9

In November 2006, I and 13 others were selected to be part of a special group in Worcester, at the school where I worked. You cannot ask to join this group; this group asks you to join. Each member is carefully selected and plays a part in history. We were given a number to identify each member because what we set out to do is done as a whole, no one individual can accomplish anything without the other. We must be unanimous in all our decisions. Our discussions are not to be shared with anyone outside of the group.

I am number 9 of this special group of 14.

On April 29, 2024, I and 13 others were selected to be part of another special group for the Worcester County Superior Court. You cannot ask to join this group; this group asks you to join. Each member is carefully selected and plays a part in history. We were given a number to identify each member because what we set out to do is done as a whole, no one individual can accomplish anything without the other. We must be unanimous in all our decisions. Our discussions are not to be shared with anyone outside of the group.

I am number 9 of this special group of 14.

Over the last two weeks, I had the privilege of serving as a juror. I reflected today as to what it meant to me to be a part of special groups, twice in my lifetime but in different capacities. Lately, all I hear on the news is trials, trials, trials. Mostly it’s been the former president in his many trials, but also the Karen Read murder trial began the same week. And now, it was potentially my turn to be part of a trial. How exciting huh? I’d never been a juror in all my 53 years. I was summoned a few times, but never called, until last week. I’m a major fan of Law and Order too, seeing most if not all of the original seasons. Suffice to say, the sound of the DUN DUN and the phrase, “these are their stories” played in my head as I walked into the courthouse the morning of April 29.

I’ll be honest, I tried to think of ways to get out of it. If you follow me, you know I travel for my job, so my schedule is coordinated many weeks ahead of travel. You also know I love my job and seeing this beautiful country of ours. So I didn’t welcome the thought of juggling my pre-determined schedule to be away from work for a few weeks if not more. Would I be paid? Do I have to pay for parking? Do I get free food? What do I wear? All these silly questions came to mind. The seriousness of the job I may have to do did not hit me until April 30, when a trial began.

We were collected into a group of 93 people. Why 93, I have no clue. As my number, number 39, (yeah, are you thinking the same thing as me as you read the numbers in this story? Lottery maybe?) was called to be questioned by the judge and attorneys, I collected my thoughts and paperwork. I walked to the sidebar and nervously stood in between the attorneys, facing the judge. I provided the answers to the many questions asked of me for this specific case and there were a few answers I knew they may want more information on. But after providing my details in what seemed to be an eternity but was only like ten minutes, they did not dismiss me. Instead, I was seated as juror number 9.

As the facts of the case were presented of an incident in Worcester taking place the last day of April into the wee morning hours of May 1, 2007, near where I had worked for many years, I found myself taking a walk down memory lane. As you read at the start of this story, I had been selected for a different special group back in 2006. Everything I experienced in that group came back to the forefront of my mind. All of our activities together in carrying out the traditions of the school and the work we put into learning about those traditions came back to me in a rush of images.

Seeing Institute Park, the Worcester Art Museum, and even the old courthouse where I saw Bruce Willis filming scenes in 2008 for Surrogates throughout the trial brought back memories of what Worcester was like back then. I recalled how each of those 14 members in 2006 were selected because of their unique qualities, diversity, and values. The group was carefully designed to represent a collection of gender, ethnicity, and race. Yes, it was mostly students but there was a sprinkling of elders with myself and one other, which also made the group inclusive of varying ages. Anything we set out to do was done as a whole; no one individual could accomplish anything without the other. No one person would get credit for being the one who led the group. Instead, each member of the group got equal opportunity to lead activities and share their understanding and perspectives in order to achieve our goal of carrying out esteemed traditions of the school. We had great respect for the institution and each other.

As I looked around the courtroom at the 14 citizens, I realized they were also selected because they represented a collection of gender, age, ethnicity, and race. We brought our own unique perspectives and values to the group as well. We gave each other equal opportunity to discuss how the case evidence proved the charges beyond a reasonable doubt. In fact, it was a requirement you could not be silent, you had to present your thoughts concisely and recognize you may have implicit bias. I realized that’s why we have 14, 12 jurors and 2 alternates; the decision was not of one but of all, in other words, unanimous so that it would be absolutely fair. We all knew we had a job to do, and we were going to do it to the best of our abilities and with the utmost respect for the process, each other, the other members of the court including officers, and the parties involved. It was our job to be fair because these parties involved depended on us to decide their fate.

I am so lucky to have been selected to take part in both these special groups. One day, you may be asked to be part of a special group too. I encourage you to cherish your time during the process and put your whole heart and mind into feeling the awesome sense of responsibility like I did. Being part of both special groups renewed my faith in my fellow members of society then and now. With regard to jury duty, we truly have an amazingly wonderful system of laws people fight for, and people who serve and protect us. We live in a fantastic country that allows us these freedoms but law and order to manage it. Yes, it was an incredible experience with Law and Order, and this was my story. DUN DUN ??