Celebrate Jury Appreciation Day on September 5
| Jurisdiction | Colorado,United States |
| Pages | 56 |
| Citation | Vol. 52 No. 7 Pg. 56 |
| Publication year | 2023 |
AROUND THE BAR | BAR NEWS HIGHLIGHT
BY BRAD ROSS-SHANNON
AND DELANEY ROSS-SHANNON
On May 24, 2023, Governor Polis signed Senate Bill 23-282, officially declaring September 5 as Jury Appreciation Day. Jury Appreciation Day is now a legal, commemorative "holiday" that will be held annually to recognize the importance that Colorado jurors serve in our democracy and the vital role they play in the justice system.
Origin and Objectives
Two years ago, the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) began promoting the idea of enacting a Jury Appreciation Day in Colorado.[1] ABOTA garnered support from Chief Justice Brian Boatright and the Colorado Supreme Court, the Colorado Court of Appeals, the chief judges of each judicial district, the Colorado Bar Association, all the metro area Inns of Court, various metro area district attorneys, the Colorado Criminal Defense Bar, and other organizations that regularly work with juries.
The Act creating Jury Appreciation Day declares that (1) the jury system is a cornerstone of Colorado's form of government; (2) the jury service system is important to democracy because of the unbiased, impartial viewpoints that can be derived from our citizens who are selected from a wide cross section of our society; (3) sitting on a jury is the most direct and impactful way for citizens to participate and connect with our government; and (4) jurors make important sacrifices to devote to jury service.
The Act allows for "appropriate observance by suitable means" by the public, by all jury commissioners, and in all public schools in the state "to recognize the importance of jury service to the community, the importance of jury trials to the state, and the great contribution jury trials make to the cause of freedom."
Why September 5?
September 5 commemorates the 1670 trial of William Penn, who was facing the death penalty for preaching illegal Quaker ideals. After initial deliberations, the jury came back divided. 1 he judge ridiculed those who voted to acquit and sent them back. After two days with no food per order of the court, the jury returned with a "not guilty" verdict. The court fined the jurors and sent them to prison until the fines were paid. An appellate court overturned the punishment, claiming that a jury must resolve cases based on their own understanding, not because of...
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