I scored me some box seats this past week with a view that you wouldn't believe! Lucky me, huh?
Not really.
These box seats were in a court room. Seats in a jury box. With a view of a judge, a defendant, two opposing attorneys, a witness seat, and a view into people's lives that wasn't pretty nor any of my business.
But this week it became my business.
It was mine to think about night and day. All by myself. I couldn't speak about what I was seeing or hearing for 7 1/2 days.
It was my business to ultimately make judgement on a 39 year old man's innocence or guilt.
I took it seriously.
I heard things I didn't want to hear. I learned some things that I had never heard of before. I spoke of things during jury deliberation that I would never speak about with 11 other strangers... strangers who strangely became my friends.
Lives already in turmoil and pain were about to get more painful.
I took part in sending someone to jail.
Guilty on all four counts.
In then end, we learned that the maximum charge for each could be life in prison. That was a hard thing to hear. So were the sobs of his 14 year old daughter.
But justice was done for someone else's 14 year old daughter. It was the right thing to do.
I came home last night after spending 10 hours in court and literally fell into the arms of my loving family. I cried and cried. All my pent up emotions came rushing out uncontrollably. My kids have never seen that from me. But they needed to see it. I hope they will never forget it. I told them how much I loved them and what a hard thing this was for me. I just sent a man to prison. I told them that the rules that our family has in place and the standards and commandments we've been given from our Heavenly Father are there for our protection. I'm so grateful for those "rules".
What a wonderful and horrible experience this jury duty was for me. I'll never forget it. It was an experience of a lifetime, but I hope I never have another one like it.
