JURY: Serving should be voluntary

The dreaded letter from the jury commissioner arrived in the mail threatening three days in jail/$300 fine for refusing to participate as a juror. America, land of the free except for jury duty! Serving on a jury should be voluntary or select jurors from the welfare recipients, unemployment recipients or retired people instead of sole providers that must work to pay the bills and eat.

How about eliminating the entire jury process and have a panel of three or five judges (odd number so no deadlock possible) deciding who’s right and who’s wrong. Judges are paid to judge; jurors threatened to serve are most likely going to be hostile and only thinking about getting it over with so they can go back to work in order to pay the bills.

Come on Idaho, let’s start a movement to change the antiquated justice system and stop punishing the taxpaying citizens.

MARVIN DOW

Spirit Lake