Submitted by
Beth Farrah, SMT Writer
Jefferson City, Missouri – Missouri’s Juror Appreciation Week will be observed this year Monday, April 29 through Friday, May 3, 2013. During the week, judges, lawyers and court clerks let jurors know the importance of their contribution to the courts and to their communities.
According to court records, more than 88,000 Missourians reported for jury duty in state courts in 2012.
More than 50 courthouses throughout the state will observe the week in different ways. Many will display a Missouri Bar poster that thanks jurors for doing their part. Judges also may take additional time to thank jurors and to acknowledge the significance of their service.
Missouri Bar President Patrick B. Starke said the right to trial by a jury is one of the fundamental guarantees included in the Bill of Rights. He noted Thomas Jefferson’s quote on the importance of this right: "I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution."
“This year, thousands of Missourians will be called to report for jury duty,” Starke said. “We understand that to serve means rearranging schedules, canceling appointments, and often times missing work. This week is dedicated to recognizing those sacrifices and thanking Missourians who report for jury duty because they are doing their part to protect this core right which is as fundamental to our country’s democracy as the right to vote.”
Missouri is one of only a few states that hold a statewide Juror Appreciation Week. The observance began in 2000 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri. The order states, “Each year thousands of Missourians perform one of the most significant civic duties granted to citizens -- they serve as fair and impartial jurors in communities throughout the state. To honor those citizens who have performed their civic duty, all Missouri courts are directed to observe Juror Appreciation Week…”
To learn more about Juror Appreciation Week, visit The Missouri Bar’s website on the event at http://www.mobar.org/jurorappreciationweek/.
The Missouri Bar is a statewide organization that is dedicated to improving the legal profession, the law and the administration of justice for all Missourians. Created in 1944 by order of the Supreme Court of Missouri, it serves all 30,000 of Missouri’s practicing attorneys. To achieve its mission, The Missouri Bar provides a wide range of services and resources to its members, as well as the media, educators and the citizens of Missouri. To learn more about The Missouri Bar, visit www.mobar.org.
