Jury duty is important for African-Americans. It allows us as citizens to take part in the criminal and civil legal system. In order to take part as a juror, you must be a registered voter. Additionally, you must not throw away the summons, and you must attend and be selected to serve on the jury. Most states use a Master Jury Wheel to select and summon qualified jurors. The Master Jury Wheel is usually comprised of three parts: Registered Voters, Persons with a Driver’s ID or Personal ID card issued by the Secretary of State, and other public information criteria.
Juries are used in both criminal and civil court systems. Juries are comprised of the citizens of the city or the county. Jury duty is often called “a jury of your peers”. The concept is to include those who are “equal” to you by living in your community. Usually this consists of those who are near your social, economic, and educational level. However, this can include people who do not look like you, do not think like you, nor have the same ideology as you. Historically, the only jurors allowed to serve were white men and women and white men who were tax-paying and land-owners. In systemic racism, a jury of your peers is often not a reality.
Becoming a juror and serving as a juror isn’t easy. You have to fill out a questionnaire and sit in a room for hours waiting for your name to be called. If you are called, you will be questioned by the prosecutor and the defense attorney. Statistics show that black jurors are preemptively struck from being summoned and selected for jury duty. Blacks are not summoned because many aren’t included in the Master Jury Wheel. This can be due to not having a current, valid driver’s license or state ID. Or they are excluded by using certain public information criteria including voter records. Additionally, potential black jurors who make it through the questionnaire are often kicked off by prosecutors using “for cause” or peremptory strikes.
If you are tired of having others determine the fate of black defendants, then you must work take part in the legal system. Do not sit on the sidelines and make it easy for prosecutors. Black defendants need black jurors.