By Jillian Beck
As Texas celebrates its inaugural Jury Appreciation Week, we asked judges and district clerks across the state to describe why they believe jury service is important.
292nd Judicial District Judge Brandon Birmingham
Dallas County
“Jurors provide the voice of the people, setting the standards of punishment, decency, and rehabilitation for the judges and lawyers involved in the criminal justice system. They protect average citizens against over-zealous prosecutors on the one hand, and hold the guilty accountable despite insidious defenses on the other. Jurors ensure fairness in the quest for truth, transparency in the fight over liberty, and they are the backbones of justice and order in our civilized society.”