Introduction by Andrew Pearce
Jury Homily:
By the Honorable Keith P. Ellison
A
s a young lawyer, I had the opportunity to observe a criminal trial presided over by Judge Keith Ellison. Outside of his courtroom, Judge Ellison’s chambers were filled with interesting photos and note cards on display, including “thank you” notes from several folks who had served on his juries. I was struck by both the number of them and the sincere gratitude expressed in each. A short time later, I heard Judge Ellison’s opening remarks and I felt the same as those jurors surely had. When he finished, every person who first begrudged their bad luck in getting called to serve on a jury seemed to sit up a little straighter and hold their head a little higher at the honor. We are privileged to publish an updated version provided by Judge Ellison. Almost 15 years later, his words are truer and more poignant than ever.
Good morning, and welcome. In asking you to join us this morning, we realize that we represent an enormous intrusion. We know we have complicated your life and the lives of members of your family. We acknowledge that, and we apologize for it. We make this imposition because we have important work for you to do. This is work that cannot get done without you. At the conclusion of this trial, you will be asked to pass judgment on the two men who are defendants in the case you will hear. It is a tremendous responsibility. It may very well be the gravest responsibility asked of any American citizen short of armed combat. Whenever we convene a jury, I am tugged by strong personal and patriotic emotions. As for the personal, my parents lived long enough to see me become a judge. They had no familiarity with matters of the law. But, they were fascinated by all my jury trials. They wanted to know what was the balance of men versus women, what were some of the jobs and occupations represented, what about the home towns, what was the age range. They were fascinated by all of this because they well remembered the times when it was their turn to serve as jurors. And they well remembered a generation earlier when they watched their parents jolted out of their normal daily routine and take their turn as jurors. For those of you who have young chil-