Bryan D. Brown

My jury duty finally ended last Friday. While I think it’s valuable for everyone to experience the workings of the legal process, it was the nature of the charges - and the seemingly endless delays - that took it’s toll The “two week” trial lasted more than 4 weeks.

So needless to say, I have some pretty strong opinions as to how the system works. And despite the fact that I have no reasonable doubt in the defendant’s guilt, I received zero satisfaction in sending him to prison. Yes, it was the “right” thing, but it really solves nothing. It just saves that poor 6 year old girl from further abuse. It doesn’t erase the past, or save her from the future. It’s just sad, sad, sad, all the way around.

Child molestation is a serious matter. Yet there was definitely an irony in sitting there, day after day dealing with this, while the rest of the world focused on the joke that is the Michael Jackson trial. Oh, and as a side note, a big “Fuck you!” to E! Television for their part in this Jackson debacle.

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be posting some articles detailing my experience, so I can stop answering “How are you?” with “Fine. I was on jury duty dealing with child molestation”.