NEWS

Louisiana Tech will celebrate Constitution Day from 4-5 p.m. Sept. 21 in Wyly Auditorium with a panel discussion about the role of juries in our justice system.

The event is free and the public is encouraged to attend and enjoy.

The panel features cast members from Ruston Community Theater’s upcoming production of 12 Angry Jurors alongside faculty experts on Constitutional law and jury service.

Constitution Day is a federal holiday that commemorates the signing of the U.S. Constitution on September 17, 1787, and it is an opportunity to examine critically the continued role of the Constitution in shaping citizenship in the United States.

This event is sponsored by the School of History and Social Science and the Waggonner Center for Civic Engagement and Public Policy at Louisiana Tech University.

Joining the “jurors” on the panel will be Tech faculty Dr. Jason Pigg, Associate Professor of Political Science, and Dr. Taylor Mack, Associate Professor of Geography. Pigg is an expert on Constitutional law, and Mack recently served on a high-profile jury in Ruston. Moderating will be Dr. William O’Brochta, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Tech.

“Jury service is a critically important part of civic life in the United States and one that people often only think about when they are called to serve on a jury,” O’Brochta said. “12 Angry Jurors gives audiences a dramatic, inside view into the workings of a jury. Our panel discussion will draw on themes from the play and highlight the legal, ethical, and moral questions surrounding jury service that will help attendees consider their role as a potential juror in case they are called to serve on a jury.”

Wednesday’s event offers the chance to hear from faculty experts, former jurors, and actors to get a comprehensive look into a crucial part of our country’s political system.