Idaho’s Judicial Branch honors the work of citizen jurors this week during Jury Appreciation Week, May 6-10.
Chief Justice G. Richard Bevan issued a proclamation marking the week and encouraging community support for jury service.
“[T]he obligation and privilege to serve as a juror are fundamental to preserving and implementing the right to a trial by jury,” the proclamation states.
Trial by a jury of one’s peers is a fundamental principle of our Constitution. A judge presides over a case, but a jury decides its outcome. Idaho’s courts rely on the members of the public who are called as jurors and who take time from their lives to decide the facts of a case.
The Jury Appreciation Week proclamation shares the Idaho Supreme Court’s commitment to a system that treats jurors with respect and encourages their service.
“[A] continuing priority for the courts, the bar, and the broader community is to ensure that jury selection and jury service are fair, effective, and not unduly burdensome,” the proclamation states.
Learn more about jury service in Idaho at isc.idaho.gov/main/pamphlets-guides.