Confessions of a Juror

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Sometimes, we are called upon to perform our civic duty, but there are times when people try to avoid it. Jury duty is one of those times. And while some companies offer paid time off to serve, people still occasionally dread the experience.

How does serving on a jury affect people? In a new study, BarPrepHero.com asked 1,184 people who had been summoned or served for jury duty how they felt about it and explored whether political affiliation affects biases and perceptions, as well as how the stress of being on a jury impacts jurors after the trial is over. Here are some of the results.

How Do Americans Feel About Jury Duty?

Although fewer than 5% of people serve their time on a jury, 3 in 5 survey respondents believed jury duty should be mandatory for all American citizens. Additionally, almost all (90.9%) thought it is fair for juries to decide the outcomes of criminal trials.

But when fairness was called into question, people weren’t as sure. Only 54.8% of people said a trial by jury was fairer than a trial by judge. The survey also showed that 80.4% of people would vote in accordance with the law but against their morals.

The study broke this data down by political affiliation. Independents (44.9%) were more likely than Republicans (39.6%) and Democrats (35.4%) to believe that jury duty should not be mandatory. But Democrats (10.9%) were twice as likely as Republicans (5.9%) to think it is not fair for juries to decide the outcomes of criminal trials. However, Independents were the least likely to vote against their morals while serving on a jury, even if it was following the law.

Lying to Avoid Jury Duty

While lying to the government is never a good idea, approximately 1 in 10 respondents lied to get out of jury duty. More than 8% of those who lied did so because they felt a judge wouldn’t find their reason legitimate.

The top reasons people lied to avoid jury duty were the financial inconvenience (48.2%), not wanting to serve (41%), and having better things to do (21.7%). Nearly 1 in 5 people were also concerned there would be consequences from their employer if they missed work.

For those who felt they had to dodge their civic duty, the most common lies were having a bias that would influence the case (31%), medical issues (24.1%), and having travel plans (17.2%). Nearly 7% of those surveyed lied about having a personal relationship with the case.

Personal Bias and Decision-Making on the Jury

Do first impressions matter? According to the study, 29% of jurors made judgments about the plaintiff and defendant based on first appearances. Older jury members were more likely to not only understand the information presented but also to hear people out.

The survey found that people in their 20s only had to hear 60.9% of the trial before making a final decision compared to respondents aged 50 and older who needed to listen to 80.4% of the information before deciding. People in their 30s and 40s required to hear 73.6% and 77.7%, respectively, of the case before making a decision.

While it is sometimes difficult to be introspective enough to realize one’s own biases, were people able to do it? More than half (56.6%) of Democrats admitted to experiencing discriminatory thoughts during a trial, with more than 1 in 3 discriminating against someone’s gender. But less than 2 in 5 Republicans admitted to the same thing – nearly 1 in 4 said it was due to someone’s occupation.

Trail Aftermath

How did jurors feel after they served? More than 1 in 4 jurors struggled with persistent negative emotions after completing jury duty. Nearly half (48.8%) of those who served felt anxious.

Why did people feel this way? Approximately 37% of jurors felt general feelings of injustice or concern for the plaintiff or defendant. Nearly 1 in 4 people were upset about the disturbing evidence shown. But 21.7% of people were concerned the verdict was wrong. These post-trial negative emotions lasted an average of two years.

While the justice system is far from perfect, it is one way people can contribute to society. Some try to get out of it, but most American citizens take their civic duty seriously.

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