Our public courts are key elements that help define our democracy« Thread Started on Jul 6, 2007, 10:58am » --------------------------------------------------------------------------------Our public courts are key elements that help define our democracyread at source> http://www.moultrieobserver.com/opinion ... 14846.html The late George Horkan, who served for many years as chief judge of the Southern Judicial Circuit, would often tell the jury and the court audience in his opening remarks that, “This is your court, it belongs to you — the public.” He also would tell jurors what a vital service they were performing for their community. He resented anything that would diminish the concept of a “jury of our peers,” often making references to countries where a panel of judges return verdicts.