The Jury Duty Social Awareness Stamp

The United States Postal Service released the Jury Duty Social Awareness Stamp on September 12, 2007. The stamp was made to call attention to the importance of jury duty service, which is the cornerstone of our democracy in the United States. The stamp features twelve diverse jurors in silhouette. The first day issuance ceremony highlighted Juror Appreciation Day, which salutes New York jurors annually.

Serving on a jury is a shared responsibility by all eligible citizens. Service should not be taken lightly. Under the US Constitution, the American jury system guarantees its citizens the right to a jury trial by their peers, if they so choose. Becoming a member of a jury is not always easy. There are questions that are asked to potential jurors from both the prosecution and defense. It is the goal of both sides to determine who is best to sit in judgment of their case.

In criminal cases, 12 jurors stand between the accused and the power of the government. The government must convince the jury of the accused person’s guilt, “beyond a reasonable doubt”. In civil cases, it is often easier to obtain a guilty ruling because jurors can make their decision based on a less stringent requirement of a “preponderance of the evidence”.

The United States Postal Service produced 40 million 41-cent Jury Duty Social Awareness stamps in a pane of 20. They may be purchased at http://shop.usps.com/.