Law Day essay defends jury system

***image1***Stephanie Colache, a sophomore at Kaiserslautern American High School took first place in the Law Day essay contest for local military high school students, held annually in May. The Offices of the Staff Judge Advocate for the 21st Theater Support Command and the 435th Air Base Wing sponsored and judged the essay contest.

Excerpts from Stephanie’s essay on why the American jury system is important highlight her ideas:
“What is the biggest criminal case that you can think of? We know of many cases. Scott Peterson, Kobe Bryant, Martha Stewart and Michael Jackson are all recent cases involving juries.
“Because of the media, many of us know what has or is occurring with these cases. You have your own opinion on each of these cases, which leads to why a jury is important in a democracy. A jury is important because it represents the people, maintains balance, and adequately analyzes information from a third party point-of-view.

“… we are all in a sense, jurors. We watch television, surf the Internet and read articles on different trials. We then, from what we know, make a decision. The actual jury for a trial knows how the public feels and represents them when they make their decisions. This is the key to a democracy. Representation, balance, and understanding are the three keys to a jury and to our democratic way of life.”
(Courtesy of Kaiserslautern American High School)