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Third year law student, Alamea Deedee Bitran, was recently selected as the Howell & Christmas, LLC Visionary Scholarship recipient, which included a $1000 award. Her selection was determined by an essay which prompted students to answer the following question in 500-1000 words: “Describe why we should, or should not, protect Americans’ rights to Trial by Jury in the United States.” Bitran’s essay, titled “The Queen of Hearts,” analogized life without our jury system to a part of the backwards world described in Alice in Wonderland.

The Queen of Hearts, by Alamea Deedee Bitran

“Off with their heads!” shrieked the Queen of Hearts. Alice in Wonderland, my favorite fairytale, consistently confused me as a child. The wild tea parties, talking creatures, and shrinking humans were not the parts of the story that made my head spin. Instead, it was the blatant lack of justice.

“Off with their heads.” That is all it took to convict someone? I remember asking how in the world one “Queen” could just sing “off with their heads” as often as horns honk in New York City without anyone challenging her decisions.

As I enter my 3L year of law school, I finally realized the Queen of Hearts’ singsong orders were the exact type of arbitrary irrational decision-making that inspired the Sixth Amendment, ensuring the right to a jury trial. Establishing a system of checks and balances within our judicial system, the right to jury trials is absolutely sacred and must be protected.

Last month, the Southern District of Florida summoned me for jury duty. When I received the summons I was anxious. The questionnaire explained that I was a potential juror for a 6-8 week trial. I panicked. I only had 10 weeks as a summer intern at a law firm, and those precious 10 weeks were my only shot at possibly obtaining future employment there. Highly caffeinated and enthusiastic, every grain of me wanted a job offer by the end of the summer. Initially, I naively and selfishly was concerned about potentially missing work.

After fighting heavy traffic on the congested one way streets of downtown Miami and scavenging for parking, I stepped into the courthouse at 8 AM to perform my civic duty. By noon, about 80 people surrounded me in the jury assembly room as televisions blasted clips from former Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and Chief Justice Roberts explaining the importance of being judged by our peers. I wondered if this is how the Breakfast Club kids must have felt in detention. Every hour, a courthouse employee took attendance on a microphone, addressed frustrated potential jurors “concerns,” and reminded us that he was not allowed to let us leave until both juries were selected.

At 3 PM my name was called. It was finally my turn to speak with the judge. He asked me if I had a serious hardship that would prevent me from serving for 6-8 weeks. I explained I only had 6 out of 10 weeks left to make an impression at a law firm and I would really appreciate being able to work. The judge seemed amused and added, “I think it would be cool for a law student to be a juror.”

About an hour later, 50 potential jurors piled into the courtroom with me. Staring at us like laboratory specimens, both parties and their attorneys eyed us as we sat down. The judge proceeded to ask us questions about our background and explained that this case involved a $300 million fraud scheme. I was expecting the defendants to be wearing bright orange jumpsuits. To look “dangerous” and “rough around the edges.” To seem like stereotypical “criminals” from the movies.

The judge’s questions morphed into background noise as I scanned the room. “What is your marital status?”; “How long have you lived in the greater Miami area?”; “How old are your children?”

I could not take my eyes off of the approximately 20 individuals sitting at tables across from us. Which two of them were the defendants being accused of such a large fraud scheme? Who were the attorneys? My eyes wandered from person to person. They all looked like reputable people. All dressed respectably and well groomed. They looked like people I would run into at Starbucks, my school library, or the local grocery store.

These were real people just like me, yet at least two of them were on trial for serious criminal violations. Two of them could be locked up for years in federal prison. Two of them could have to kiss their families goodbye for a long time. But which two?

Eventually, the lawyers introduced the defendants. I would never in a million years have picked them out of a crowd as being charged with $300 million fraud violations. One of the defendants looked terrified and she kept making eye contact with me. Her lawyer rested her hands on the defendant’s shoulders in a somewhat maternal way as she introduced her client.

Seeing the terrified look in that defendant’s eyes brought back memories of how I pictured the various creatures in Alice in Wonderland must have looked when the Queen of Hearts barked her harsh orders.

Never have I ever truly understood the importance of a trial by jury until that second. I wanted to serve. I wanted to hear her story. If she was innocent, I wanted to make sure she was set free. All concerns about missing work were brought into perspective at that moment, and I realized my role as a juror was far more important. I was there to ensure justice was protected.

The judge reminded the jurors that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Although I had learned extensively about juries in school, this was the first time the sacred importance of a jury became crystal clear to me. Each juror was a critical piece of the American justice system.

The woman defendant looked pale, haunted, and frightened. A fresh batch of impartial fellow citizens were there to make sure she had a fair trial. The jury system’s role never seemed more sacrosanct to me.

Unfortunately, I did not get selected to serve as a juror that day, but I did leave the courthouse with a deep appreciation for our jury system. Never before has such a concept smacked me in the face like a brick wall. Without protecting the right to a jury trial, what and who would ever dare to stop the Queen of Hearts?