BY REGINA NUNNALLY
I
' d been with the Public Defender ' s office for only six months when I was asked to defend Judas Iscariot . I was nervous . Although it was a mock trial , it was a challenge . How can I defend a person like that ? What could I say or do to convince anyone to see him in a different way . Why me ?
The court of public opinion delivers verdicts every day . Judas ' story is well known . Would he get a " fair " trial ? What does " fair " mean anyway ? Our mind-set is pre-disposed by the media , experiences and personal opinion . How can you reprogram a pre-disposed mind to become unbiased and fair ? The public will treat an individual that was found not guilty as guilty . One bad decision can ruin a lifetime of good work . Naturally , we aren ' t conditioned to think the best of people accused of wrongdoing . That ' s why jury selection is a crucial part of our court system .
Jury selection is called " voir dire " which means " to tell the truth ". I ask prospective jurors to tell me the truth about their biases and personal opinions . How they feel about an issue or legal principle . Do they understand the burden of proof ? I ask them for their opinions about my client or knowledge about the case . I want to choose a suitable panel for a particular case . This is not an easy task and that ' s why trials are a gamble .
A former president was said to dislike broccoli . He volunteered to judge a casserole contest at a fair . To his dismay , he had to judge between a broccoli casserole and a squash casserole . He wanted to be neutral and he wanted to do the right thing . However , he couldn ' t bring himself to taste the broccoli casserole ! His convictions were too strong . He might have had flashbacks . Who knows ? He " recused " or stepped down because he realized he was not suitable for the task . He decided to judge the pie contest instead !
Like the casserole contest , the judicial system , civil or criminal , forces us to take a good look at ourselves when we are called to judge others . The rules and laws mandate that we be fair . Fairness does not mean we get what we want . It means we establish a level playing field so that the correct result is reached . We have looked to the elected officials to make things better . However , we have a duty to maintain the integrity of our court system by being humble and honest about our opinions--prospective jurors , lawyers and judges alike . Injustices are caused by hidden agendas . It is crucial we follow procedures or we will risk creating an arbitrary system that generates unfair results that create bad laws .
So would you have judged the casserole contest ? Could Judas count on you to be a neutral juror in his trial ? Can you control your opinioned self to hear both sides ? Have you ever tried ? Can you admit that you may not be suitable for the assignment ? It is impossible to " reprogram " a mind in a short period of time . It is possible to subject it to a higher power . We have to make up our minds to do the right thing . As for Judas , I had to humanize him . I detached my emotions , put aside my bias and represented my client . Let ' s be honest , it ' s easier said than done and to my surprise , the mock jury found Judas not guilty ! Imagine that .
Simmons Pediatrics AB Honor Roll , Dave & Busters Charles E . Attorney Regina Nunnally My Toughest Trial Ever Defending Judas Iscariot Daytona Beach , Florida February 2016