3 May 2023

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Last year, Missouri citizens spent more than 2,300 days helping their peers resolve disputes through jury trials. The right to trial by jury has been a hallmark of the American justice system for more than two centuries, embodied in the Bill of Rights as well as our state and federal constitutions. So during this first week in May, the Supreme Court of Missouri asks the public to join it in celebrating Juror Appreciation Week.

“Throughout the year, Missourians rely on others to set aside their busy lives and devote time – sometimes a day, sometimes a week, occasionally much longer – to answer the call of civic duty as a juror,” Missouri Chief Justice Paul C. Wilson said. “Whether the case involves a person accused of a crime or an alleged civil harm, jurors are asked to set aside their personal beliefs and decide the case fairly and impartially. They pay careful attention and base their verdict only on the facts and law presented in court. They decide who is telling the truth, what evidence to believe, and how the case should be decided. It is an important duty but, ultimately, a rewarding experience to serve as a juror.”

“To ensure the fairness of the trial, our courts in counties both large and small must summon many more people to jury duty than who are asked to stay to hear the trial,” Wilson continued. “So whether your service was for an hour or a day or a week or longer, we are grateful to all who answered their local court’s call to duty. Truly, our system of justice cannot work without you, and we all owe you our deepest thanks.”

Jury duty is one of the most important civic responsibilities we can fulfill, and one of the rare times we can play a direct role in preserving the constitutional rights of our fellow citizens. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “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.”

Contact: Beth S. Riggert

Communications Counsel

Supreme Court of Missouri

(573) 751-3676