His civil disobedience gambit earned him coverage by newspapers and two TV stations. I also admire how Murtari is expressing this legitimate feelings of anger peacefully by trying to start a mass movement on the Internet in support of jury trials in child custody cases. But I think he's got the wrong idea. As a taxpayer, I don't relish the idea of impaneling a jury every time a husband and wife get to quarreling about the kids. We're already paying judges hefty salaries to make these decisions.
Jury trials are expensive and time-consuming.
Thanks to reforms advocated by the McManuses, the divorce rate is actually falling in several cities around the country. The Keatings are concerned by statistics showing Oklahoma has the second-highest divorce rate in America. They've pledged to lower that rate by one-third by 2010. It might not even be necessary to spend money. Judge James Sheridan of Adrian, Mich. got so tired of seeing divorces he is now authorizing all officials performing civil weddings in his judicial district to require couples to obtain premarital counseling first.