News : District judge discusses importance of jury service; and his experience on jury

The most important thing for people to know about jury service is how much their efforts to fulfill the jury’s important role in the judicial system are appreciated, says District Judge Douglas Russell.

Judge Russell was the presiding judge over the trial in which I was a member of the jury pool. And the week before that trial, he found himself in a role in which he had never served: A member of a jury.

After the jury issued its verdict in the case, I spoke to Judge Russell about his views of the importance of jury duty, what he believes future jurors should know before stepping into the courtroom, and about his first experience as a member of a jury himself.

Judge Russell told me that the job of a jury is the same as it was when he began his legal career more than 30 years ago: To fairly evaluate the evidence presented and to let every one of the 12 members have their say in reaching a verdict.

He has been a prosecutor and defense attorney and was appointed to the bench in 1999. He was now one of the judges who rotate among the counties in the Iowa Sixth Judicial District.

But a week before presiding over the trial where I met him, he was one of 12 members of a Johnson County jury which found a defendant guilty of a two-count abuse case.

That experience, said the judge, showed him how well the jury process works. He speaks to the jury after every case, to hear what the members thought about the case and their experience. But being on a jury, he said, gave him more insight into the process, and who well it works.

His identity as a judge was clearly revealed in the jury selection process. And when the jury chose its foreman, the other members asked the judge to serve in that capacity.

But Judge Douglas the juror made it clear to the other 11 jurors that his opinions were no important than theirs, and that any legal questions about the case had to answered solely by testimony and the instructions.

“I was very pleased to see how the process worked,” said the judge. “Everyone on the jury was very careful, very calm and very civil. Everyone was allowed to speak.”

Judge Douglas urges future jurors to be “fully engaged” in the juror interview process, and to fully and honestly answer all of the questions from the attorneys.

In the case in which I was involved as a potential juror, the selection process began with a group of approximately 40 jurors. Twenty-five, including me, were randomly selected to be part of the jury pool. The prosecutor and defense attorney each questioned each of us about a variety of issues, including whether or not we knew anyone involved in the trial.

There were also questions about our perception of law enforcement and the court system. The lawyers also ask potential jurors if they have had any personal experiences related to the particular case.

The case in which I was involved included a charge of domestic abuse, so the lawyers asked all potential jurors to share whether they or any close family members had been abuse victims.

“The lawyers have a job to do during the selection process. It’s important to answer the questions thoroughly so the lawyers have all the information they need to choose an impartial jury,” says Judge Russell.