Jury service reminder: 'You have the rule of law'

The Indianapolis / Marion County Criminal Justice Center, 7:30 a.m.

 

 

I came across some notes I took after serving on a jury in Indianapolis a couple of years ago.

The details of the case don't really matter: A "sovereign citizen" picked up doing nearly 90 mph, drunk, through the downtown I-70 north split had an encounter with a state trooper.

The real takeaway for me was how a group of people can get together, hash out the evidence and come to an agreement amicably. In a nation so divided in so many ways, it was a refreshing reminder of how we can get along when we try to work together.

Looking out at the city from the Jutice Center, awaiting for the wheels of justice to turn

This closeup look at the legal system also reminded me of a conversation I had recently on an app where people gather to practice speaking English. I'm a moderator in the group, which is something like a 24 hour talk show with people from around the world, including Iran, Iraq, Sudan, Egypt, Australia and so many other places, who gather to learn what they regard as the world's universal language.

I was in one of those conversations when a person from the Middle East told me how much he admires the United States. That's not uncommon: For all of our faults, we're still a beacon to people elsewhere. I asked this person what in particular he liked about the U.S.

"I like that in your country you have something that doesn't exist in many places," he said.

"In the United States you have the rule of law."

Yes sir, I thought. It doesn't always seem that way, but we are trying.