In Chapter 23, Atticus discusses why people in Maycomb don’t want to serve on juries. The first thing he says is that people aren’t interested. Remember, this story takes place during the Depression--hard times for folks living in Maycomb. They have their own lives and own jobs to tend to, and it is probably a common sentiment that they don’t care about legal proceedings if they are not involved.
Another reason Atticus says is that serving on a jury “forces a man to make up his mind and declare himself about something.” People don’t always want their opinions known by others. For example, if someone in the jury empathized with Tom Robinson and the horrible treatment of blacks in the Maycomb community, he might want to keep that a secret so as to not be harassed much like Atticus was when he was called a nigger lover by Mrs. Dubose.
And finally, as a jurist, you have to face the public and community. Atticus uses the example of Link Deas, a business owner, who if he has to make a decision between two customers, he will lose business, and therefore, doesn’t want to be put in the position to take sides.
Many residents make up excuses to avoid serving on a jury because of their concern for backlash from the community, because they are scared to take a stand, or because they just don’t care.
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