Skordas applauds service performed by U.S. juries

Juries in America take their obligations seriously and often are not appreciated enough for the sacrifices they make and what they do, says one prominent defense attorney.

Greg Skordas saluted juries Friday in a keynote Law Day speech before a crowd at the Little America Hotel. The event was sponsored by the Utah State Bar, which also honored some in the legal profession.

"I think jurors take their function very seriously," Skordas said, adding that in the recent trial of former Salt Lake County Mayor Nancy Workman, the jury stayed up until 1 a.m. deliberating, then returned the next day to come up with a verdict.

"Nothing for me is perhaps more rewarding in a trial than giving a closing argument," said Skordas, who has handled 100 jury trials.

"It's a fascinating process to watch a jury when you've done a good run, talking to each of the 12 jurors and watching them start to nod and start to agree," he said.

"I've also had jurors that sit back and do this" — he said, shaking his head no — "and I've kept those short."

Skordas cited one comment from a juror on the widely publicized Scott Peterson murder case in California as an example of how dedicated jurors can be:

"We did everything right," juror Mike Belmessieri said after Peterson's sentencing for killing his wife, Laci, and unborn fetus. "We went in and we saw, last June, an innocent man, and sat there, many of us — I know I did — saying, 'What's this poor kid doing here?' Well, we found out what he was doing there, didn't we?"

People sometimes don't recognize that jurors give up so much time from families and work to serve, not to mention the stress that jurors undergo. Skordas said he has handled death penalty cases both as a prosecutor and a defense attorney, and juries had to wrestle with life-and-death decisions.

"We put jurors through this traumatic process, and the experience will stay with them for the rest of their lives," he said.

The Utah State Bar gave its Young Lawyer of the Year Award to Christian Clinger, who has helped raise funds to support pro bono legal services and handled clothing drives for disadvantaged children. The Scott M. Matheson Award was given to Judge William Thorne, a member of the Utah Court of Appeals, for his work to help young people.

The Liberty Bell Award went to Diane Clark, who has run the bar's lawyer referral program since 1979.

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