a day in the justice system

I was called up for jury duty today, and unlike most people, I was actually selected (impaneled, in the common parlance) to serve on a jury.

We've already handed in the verdict, so it's not going to eat up more of my life, and I can actually talk about it now. I don't want to get into too many specifics in public (hit me up via e-mail, etc, if you want deets), but it was a criminal case, a small one. Since there wasn't a whole lot of evidence for us to deliberate on, it didn't take us too long to reach a verdict. It was a unanimous decision. I stand by it.

But it's a weighty thing we're asked to do. It still feels heavy on my back. I guess that's how it has to be, when the topic of justice, real justice, comes into play, and not just the court of popular opinion. I can't imagine what it must be like sit in a hugely involved case.