Jury Duty

I just spent the last couple of days at the Washington County courthouse on jury duty. I was actually selected as a juror which statistcally didn't seem that likely. It was a very interesting procedure. Often long and cumbersome but also very enlightening. The case delt with a 16 year old boy charged with 2 felony counts. It was daunting to realize the part I played and actually quite heartbreaking to realize that because of his rash decisions his life would be altered forever. A quick synopsis. He was playing a pick up game of basketball- it got out of hand as those things often do- a fight ensued. He was punched in the eye and left the court and walked 200-300 yards to a drinking fountain. On his way back he picked up a metal pipe used to stake a tree at the park. He proceed to go back over to where the other boys were and swung it and hit one of the boys on his forearm. The victim had is arm up above his head because he thought the defendant was trying to hit him in the head and he was trying to block it. Luckily it did not break his arm but left a welt and was pretty painful for several weeks. It was obvious that he committed the crime and it was not a case of self defense. The sad part though is that because of a new law in Oregon this young man is tried as an adult and will face a minimum of three years in prison. Although I agree he committed the crime, the punishment seemed harsh. It's a testament that making good choices is so important and the things you do today have the ability to alter your tomorrows.