Yesterday, I was sitting with 54 strangers in courtroom 19 of San Francisco Criminal Court, and a thought came to me, “can jury duty teach people about critical thinking and source evaluation?”
I’ve been called for jury duty many times, and like most people, I view it with a mixture of annoyance and anxiety. What if I’m called for a trial that takes months? What if it’s about a really terrible crime?
This time around, I decided to view it as a learning experience. And I learned a lot, despite not being selected for trial.
I am a media literacy educator, so I’m invested in finding ways for students, and everyone, to learn how to critically analyze and evaluate all forms of media in their life – from Instagram reels to feature films. So I was delighted when one of the first topics we covered in the jury room was about personal biases and stereotypes.
Prospective jurors in California are shown a short video by the Perception Institute that breaks down what implicit bias is, how to recognize and mitigate its impact on your decision making. It’s a pretty great video that everyone should see [link below].
As I went through the process of jury selection, I realized that being an effective juror is about exercising your critical thinking and evaluation skills. A court trial provides a structured process for people to practice those skills, in a setting where getting it right matters. Jurors have to put aside any personal biases, opinions, and prior knowledge and just focus on the evidence presented. They then have to critically evaluate all of that evidence in order to render a verdict.
I’ve always believed that every American should serve on a jury to the best of their ability if called. It’s one of the few things everyone is asked to do as citizens! But I realized this week that jury service can also be a teachable moment on the importance of critical thinking, understanding bias, and source evaluation. And those are life lessons that apply well beyond the courtroom.
IMAGE CREDIT: Judicial Council of California