I’ve always been confused by this.
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Why would you want a bunch of randoms to decide your fate, and not the actual judge with a law degree and years of experience?
Why do those people have more power than the judge? They can decide anything they want and the judge is basically just the guy who signs and does the paperwork.
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I was on a grand jury for a six-month period during which we considered two unrelated indictments for murder. I left that experience with a promise to myself that if I’m ever a defendant in a criminal proceeding, I will seriously consider opting for a bench trial where I waive my right to a jury trial and instead have a judge decide my fate.
I made that promise to myself because I realized during my grand jury experience there are a lot of really stupid people out there in society. The questions and discussion points brought up by some of my fellow grand jurors—not all, but more than a couple—gave insight into their ability (or lack of) to think critically and work problems in a logical manner. I’m not sure I’d want a bunch of people like that with stunted mental capacity deciding my fate.
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