Courtly Manners
Last week, while nearly everyone else was packing up for the annual “over the river and through the woods” Thanksgiving trek, I sat in lower Manhattan waiting to learn whether or not I would be called upon to serve as a juror. I knew the odds that I would actually serve were fairly low. No trial lawyer, in his or her right mind, wants a lawyer to serve as a juror. But that didn’t excuse me from a long, long wait—one that stretched over three days.
I participated in the questioning of prospective jurors that takes place to ensure every member of the jury will make a fair and impartial decision. That process was interesting, but what really fascinated me was how the demeanor of my fellow citizens changed as we prepared to enter the courtroom.
Before the court officer walked us in for the examination, he explained that everyone must turn off their cell phones, gentlemen must remove their hats, and we should only speak when addressed by the court. Call me crazy, but you’ve never seen forty more well behaved New Yorkers in your life. Everyone sat a little taller. We seemed to choose our words a bit more carefully. We acted with total respect for each other and everyone who appeared in the courtroom.
The judicial system brought out our best manners, all in all, not a bad thing.
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