Sooner or later most of us who live in Island County open our mail and find that we have been ordered to report for jury duty. Often it is an unwelcome surprise because jury duty can be a burden and an expense. Yet jury service is not only a duty but it is a privilege. A privilege reserved for a free people.

Jurors are selected from all walks of life. They come together to decide critical issues affecting lives, property, and freedom. In many countries such decisions are made by judges, magistrates, clerics and others employed by and subordinate to the state. In this country any citizen who has the right to vote also has the right and privilege to be a juror. Here a jury is answerable to no one for its verdict. The jury’s ability decide a case according to the law free from fear of repercussion or recrimination is an integral part of the freedom we all enjoy. Our country does not demand much of us. We are required to pay our taxes and serve in the armed forces when the draft is imposed, but those duties are common to peoples throughout the world. Our third duty, jury service, sets free people apart from other societies. Jury service is a small price to pay for our freedoms,

In Island County jurors are chosen at random from registered voters and those who have driver’s licenses indicating that they live in the county. The county clerk sends out summons and a questionnaire to fill out and return. Potential jurors are directed to telephone the court the night before their first day of service to find out when to report. In District Court our trials normally begin on Thursday or Friday. Trials usually take one or two days. We will ask 24 jurors to report at eight in the morning the first day for a brief orientation. Jury selection usually begins at 8:30, and selecting the six jurors who will actually serve normally takes about an hour. Once the jury is selected the other potential jurors are excused and are asked to telephone again that evening to see if they are needed the next day. Once jurors actually serve through a trial they are excused for the rest of that term of jury duty.

Willful failure to respond to a jury summons is a crime and could subject a person to penalties. Fortunately, in Island County the vast majority of jurors come when called. Jurors can be excused by the judge in advance of trial for good cause. Requests for excusal can be made in writing to the court stating the grounds. Usually loss of income due to jury service is not considered a valid excuse, but exceptional circumstances such as a pending IRS audit might be. Pre-paid vacations might excuse a juror temporarily. Hospital stays and procedures usually qualify. The clerk’s office itself does not grant excusals. Only the trial judge can do that.

Jury duty can be stressful, but it can also be a rewarding experience. Most jurors look back on their service and are proud that they have been part of a great tradition. So, when you find that notice in your mail, I hope you will consider the importance of jury duty and will look forward to the privilege of serving.

Peter H. Strow is Presiding Judge, District and Municipal Court, in Oak Harbor