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Jury Duty: Your Power, Your Voice
Sista would love to hear from you! Send in your burning questions here → https://tinyurl.com/sista-in-law-qa
Why Your Vote in the Jury Box Matters More Than You Think
Real talk: most of us try to get out of jury duty the second that summons hits our mailbox. But what if I told you that jury duty is one of the most powerful tools we have to actually change the criminal justice system?
In this episode, we're breaking down why Black people need to stop avoiding jury duty and start showing up—because in Texas criminal court, your ONE vote can be the difference between someone going to prison or walking free. We're talking about the power of unanimous verdicts, what "jury of your peers" actually means, and why prosecutors don't want us in that courtroom in the first place.
We also dive into a real case of wrongful conviction that lasted 30 years, discuss how family court juries work differently, and address the hard truth about inherent biases—even when there are Black judges on the bench.
This isn't about civic duty. This is about power. And we're giving up ours every time we dodge that summons.
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(02:50) What "jury of your peers" really means—and why representation matters
(04:23) Why prosecutors want us gone (and we're making it easy for them)
(07:28) Understanding "reasonable doubt"
(09:14) Why you need to PAY ATTENTION during jury service
(10:17) Addressing the inconvenience—and why it's worth it anyway
(10:49) Inherent biases in the courtroom (even from well-meaning people)
(12:03) Why Black judges and prosecutors aren't enough
(12:28) The power you hold when you show up
View all episodes
By SistaSista would love to hear from you! Send in your burning questions here → https://tinyurl.com/sista-in-law-qa
Why Your Vote in the Jury Box Matters More Than You Think
Real talk: most of us try to get out of jury duty the second that summons hits our mailbox. But what if I told you that jury duty is one of the most powerful tools we have to actually change the criminal justice system?
In this episode, we're breaking down why Black people need to stop avoiding jury duty and start showing up—because in Texas criminal court, your ONE vote can be the difference between someone going to prison or walking free. We're talking about the power of unanimous verdicts, what "jury of your peers" actually means, and why prosecutors don't want us in that courtroom in the first place.
We also dive into a real case of wrongful conviction that lasted 30 years, discuss how family court juries work differently, and address the hard truth about inherent biases—even when there are Black judges on the bench.
This isn't about civic duty. This is about power. And we're giving up ours every time we dodge that summons.
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Intro
(02:50) What "jury of your peers" really means—and why representation matters
(04:23) Why prosecutors want us gone (and we're making it easy for them)
(07:28) Understanding "reasonable doubt"
(09:14) Why you need to PAY ATTENTION during jury service
(10:17) Addressing the inconvenience—and why it's worth it anyway
(10:49) Inherent biases in the courtroom (even from well-meaning people)
(12:03) Why Black judges and prosecutors aren't enough
(12:28) The power you hold when you show up