[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 65 (Thursday, April 10, 2025)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E313]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           VALUING TRUTH `FULLNESS': LESSONS FROM JURY TRIALS

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                           HON. JAMIE RASKIN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2025

  Mr. RASKIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to reflect on the profound 
responsibility that accompanies public service.
  As public officials across the country are sworn into office, each 
affirms a commitment to faithfully execute the duties of public office 
and defend the Constitution of the United States. But more and more 
Americans are losing faith that the actions of our public officials are 
principally guided by our Constitution and our laws. And some of my 
colleagues even doubt whether truth exists and whether government can 
operate on the basis of mutually agreed facts, such as who won an 
election.
  Gregory Mize--a Georgetown University law professor and retired trial 
judge--offers a compelling perspective: we can use jury trials as 
models for attaining higher levels of truthfulness and reliable 
outcomes in government. After all, our whole justice system is based on 
the idea that we must all tell the truth and the fact-finder can decide 
``beyond a reasonable doubt'' or ``by preponderance of the evidence'' 
what actually happened.
  Thomas Jefferson said, ``I consider trial by jury as the only anchor, 
yet ever imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the 
principles of its constitution.'' Indeed, the way a courtroom pursues 
truth provides a blueprint for encouraging trustworthiness in our 
public servants.
  At the beginning of jury selection, potential jurors take a solemn 
oath to truthfully answer questions posed by the judge and lawyers. The 
selected jurors take a second oath to ``faithfully discharge the duties 
of a juror and a true verdict render according to the law and the 
evidence.'' When testimony begins, jurors observe each witness take an 
oath under penalty of perjury to ``tell the truth and nothing but the 
truth.'' Judges, also sworn to follow the law, enforce rules of 
evidence--including by striking irrelevant or unreliable testimony from 
consideration by the jury. In some cases, judges must also pre-qualify 
proposed experts before they can state an opinion on a key issue. A 
lawyer's questioning then further tests the reliability of those 
opinions. Thanks to these established procedures, jurors learn the 
court's high valuation of honesty and come to expect it from their 
government
  Rather than relying on a single robed jurist to render a final 
verdict, our Founders wanted a panel of common citizens to administer 
justice in honest dialogue with one another. They believed jury 
deliberations to be a gold standard for reaching truth and achieving 
just ends.
  After hearing evidence and receiving legal instructions from the 
judge, jurors enter a deliberation room. They test one another's 
recollections and assumptions and assess witness credibility. Studies 
show that, during deliberations, a jury polices itself. Individual 
jurors remind others of the obligations of their oaths and the 
requirements of the law as stated by the judge.
  As a new year--with a new Congress and President--is underway, it is 
high time to bring courtroom reverence for truth-telling into the 
government generally and the public square. As citizens, we must demand 
a commitment to the pursuit of truth from all of our public officials. 
While enforcing oaths of office is a big challenge, citizens must 
demand truth from public officials in all that we do. And as public 
officials, we must earn that trust by honoring our oaths.
  The work of Judge Gregory Mize is exemplary in calling America back 
to the bedrock quest for truth. We owe him a debt of gratitude.

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