The mission of the program is to demystify the juror experience. The OJC launched a grassroots campaign devoted to students as well as to adults in civic, fraternal, and social groups. The program's presentations inform the general public that juror service is a building block to good citizenship. The Outreach approach is a pro-active effort aimed at alleviating anxieties about serving as a juror in Massachusetts. The program aims to shed a positive light on our jury system.
Many people consider jury duty an inconvenience, an intrusion, and a hardship.
We remind prospective jurors that jury duty is a solemn and noble experience which can be quick, easy, educational, and proof-positive that democracy works. In its presentations, the Outreach Program Team reminds its audiences of the success of the OJC's pursuit of scofflaws. It is, instead, looking to have people honor their obligation and thus, guarantee that representative cross-sections of jurors appear at all jury court locations. The Outreach Program strives to teach citizens that the right to a trial by jury is steeped in history, a concept that can be traced as far back as the ancient Greeks. It also informs audiences that the Magna Charta is believed to be the first document to safeguard citizens from torture, imprisonment, and execution without the judgment of their peers.