Jury Duty
I was called for jury duty in the beginning of September. Unlike some people who say they have not been called for ten years or more, my name seems to come up every time I am eligible so I have a good idea of the process by now. This past time, instead of going to the usual jury area, everyone called reported directly to a courtroom and the jury selection process began. In the midst of my worrying about being picked, I tried (really, really tried) to appreciate the process. What struck me, and many of my fellow jurors, was how much it is like a TV show or movie. You are already primed to know court procedures and who are all the players. My favorite part was our being told that, no matter what you may have seen, you should not go out to visit the scene of the incident or investigate on your own. I, and everyone else, immediately thought of the classic movie Twelve Angry Men. Here is a list of some of my favorite court room dramas, all available through the Mercer County Library System:
Twelve Angry Men – Henry Fonda decides to investigate the crime himself after not being satisfied with the evidence and his fellow jurors.
A Few Good Men – Who has not heard the exchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson - “I want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!”? This military courtroom drama is based on a play by Aaron Sorkin. Available on DVD. In 2018, NBC plans to broadcast the play live with Alec Baldwin playing the role of Colonel Jessep.
Staying on the military topic, my next favorite is The Caine Mutiny. Humphrey Bogart does a great job as Queeg, the paranoid, dictating commander of the USS Caine. The film is based on Herman Wouk’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name.
For historical court room drama, try the BBC series Garrow’s Law. The main character, William Garrow, is based on the real life William Garrow, the man responsible for the phrase “presumed innocent until proven guilty.” Garrow’s influence eventually helped lead to the adversarial court system we have today.
This list would not be complete without mentioning Judge John Deed, Rumpole of the Bailey and Kavanaugh, QC. Headed by Martin Shaw, Leo McKern and John Thaw, respectively, these are some heavy hitters in terms of British television actors. My favorite of these is Kavanaugh, QC but I was already primed to like it from watching Thaw play Inspector Morse.
All titles mentioned are available through the Mercer County Library System.
If you are interested in learning more about the jury process in New Jersey and Mercer County, take a look at the New Jersey Courts site. Their FAQs tell you all you would want to know about the responsibilities of being a juror. Click on the Courts tab to find out about the different types of courts in the state. Go here for Mercer County-specific information.
See you in the jury room (maybe) in another three years!
Twelve Angry Men – Henry Fonda decides to investigate the crime himself after not being satisfied with the evidence and his fellow jurors.
A Few Good Men – Who has not heard the exchange between Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson - “I want the truth! You can’t handle the truth!”? This military courtroom drama is based on a play by Aaron Sorkin. Available on DVD. In 2018, NBC plans to broadcast the play live with Alec Baldwin playing the role of Colonel Jessep.
Staying on the military topic, my next favorite is The Caine Mutiny. Humphrey Bogart does a great job as Queeg, the paranoid, dictating commander of the USS Caine. The film is based on Herman Wouk’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name.
For historical court room drama, try the BBC series Garrow’s Law. The main character, William Garrow, is based on the real life William Garrow, the man responsible for the phrase “presumed innocent until proven guilty.” Garrow’s influence eventually helped lead to the adversarial court system we have today.
This list would not be complete without mentioning Judge John Deed, Rumpole of the Bailey and Kavanaugh, QC. Headed by Martin Shaw, Leo McKern and John Thaw, respectively, these are some heavy hitters in terms of British television actors. My favorite of these is Kavanaugh, QC but I was already primed to like it from watching Thaw play Inspector Morse.All titles mentioned are available through the Mercer County Library System.
If you are interested in learning more about the jury process in New Jersey and Mercer County, take a look at the New Jersey Courts site. Their FAQs tell you all you would want to know about the responsibilities of being a juror. Click on the Courts tab to find out about the different types of courts in the state. Go here for Mercer County-specific information.
See you in the jury room (maybe) in another three years!
- Andrea, Hopewell Branch
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