Supporting our judges and jurors in this climate of dangerous rhetoric

DALLAS, March 16, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — ABOTA has been attentive to the hostile rhetoric that attacks the independence of the judiciary and seeks to erode the Rule of Law. Personal attacks on judges of the law and jurors, who are judges of the facts, are never warranted and are entirely inconsistent with our American System of Justice.

As advocates for the third branch of government, we are proud to stand with the judges and jurors who have faithfully and impartially performed their duties as charged under the law and the Constitution. We thank the judiciary for their fortitude and sacrifice while serving as stewards of the Rule of the Law, especially in these trying times.

Where there is divisive rhetoric that denigrates the judicial branch, it is incumbent upon each of us who took the oath to support the Constitution, to right the ship with integrity and truth. It is with this blueprint that ABOTA continues its work to educate ourselves and others about the Rule of Law, be a voice for the unheard in the judiciary, and promote civil discourse.  We encourage the judges to persevere in the efficient administration of due process and the constant improvement of the law.

Where members of a jury have rendered a verdict, their service reflects the active spirit of a functional and free nation. The very act of 6 or 9 or 12 strangers reaching consensus about the truth of a matter is the embodiment of the Rule of Law — where persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced, independently adjudicated, and consistent with international human rights principles. A jury verdict requires consensus by a body of people after deliberation — a process that relies on critical examination of evidence, communication and consent. A jury verdict declares that no single person or entity can control the law for their own purposes. Further supporting that principle, our system of checks and balances guaranteed by the right to appeal is engrained in our history and consciousness. It signifies our nation’s respect to the opinions of mankind. It remains our pathway to preserve the rights of all people in a democratic society.

Thomas Jefferson remarked that the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, meaning that being constantly aware remains our collective duty.  More than 220 years later, Amanda Gorman, who is the United States’ first youth poet laureate, shared that history has its eyes on the current generation…and the next.  Ms. Gorman wrote,

          Our blunders become their burdens.
          But one thing is certain:

          We will rebuild, reconcile, and recover.

          For there is always light,
          if only we’re brave enough to see it.
          If only we’re brave enough to be it.

The independence of the judicial branch continues to be under threat from a variety of sources. Maintaining a fair and neutral judiciary as free from political influence as possible will ensure this essential component of America’s form of government  remains protected.  May our united conviction and persistence forge the journey ahead.

ABOTA is a national association of experienced trial lawyers and judges. ABOTA and its members are dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the civil jury trial right provided by the Seventh Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. ABOTA membership consists of more than 7,300 lawyers — equally balanced between plaintiff and defense — and judges spread among 95 chapters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Andrea La‘Verne Edney
National President

For more information contact:
Brian Tyson at (800) 932-2682
[email protected]

SOURCE American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)