Missouri - Judges, lawyers and court clerks thank the 70,299 Missourians who reported for jury duty in state courts in 2014 as part of Missouri’s Juror Appreciation Week to be held this year from Monday, April 27 through Friday, May 1, 2015. During the week, court staff and legal professionals will emphasize to jurors how important their contributions are to the courts, their communities and our legal system.
 
Missouri Bar President Reuben Shelton said the right to trial by a jury is one of the fundamental guarantees included in the Bill of Rights.
 
“I know that reporting to jury duty can be inconvenient to our lives,” Shelton said. “But in order to advance justice, we must all show up when called upon so that our juries are truly representative of our communities. We thank the more than 70,000 Missourians who reported to jury duty last year and believe their service will help others recognize that jury service is fundamental to upholding our constitution and democracy.”
 
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.
 
This year’s poster features a quote from Founding Father, principal author of the Declaration of Independence and third President of the United States, Thomas Jefferson, in which he noted a “trial by jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution."
 
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, which 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…”
 
Visit the event webpage to learn more about Juror Appreciation Week, watch a video on the importance of jurors, or take a quiz to test your knowledge on jury service.
 
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 lawyers. 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 and www.MissouriLawyersHelp.org.