Jury Duty Stamp Unveiled
BY LINDA J. WILSON

Queens County Clerk and Clerk of the Supreme Court Gloria D'Amico and James J. Burns, Postmaster of the Jamaica Postal Station, hold a blowup facsimile of the Jury Duty Commemorative Stamp, unveiled on Tuesday, October 23 at the Queens Civil Court, 89-17 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica.

The importance of jury duty service in the county of Queens was underscored on Tuesday, October 23, when a new commemorative stamp bearing the words "Jury Duty/Serve with Pride" was unveiled at the Queens Civil Court Building, 89-17 Sutphin Blvd., Jamaica. The two phrases border two rows of silhouetted faces in different colors, emphasizing that the American jury system provides for trial by one's peers, according to United States Postal Service (U.S.P.S.) Art Director Carl T. Herrman and the stamp's designer, Lance Hidy. Gloria D'Amico, Queens County Clerk and Clerk of the Supreme Court, served as Mistress of Ceremonies and with James J. Burns, Postmaster of the Jamaica Postal Station, unveiled the stamp to an admiring audience.

D'Amico presided over a program that began with an introduction by Bernice Wallace, U.S.P.S. customer service manager and member of the U.S.P.S. Customer Advisory Council. Wallace's remarks were followed by the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance by all present and the singing of the National Anthem by Monifa Bartley. The Rev. Michael Gittens, Greater Allen Cathedral of New York, delivered the invocation.

Burns welcomed the audience, including Deputy Borough President Karen Koslowitz, representing Borough President Helen Marshall, to the event and D'Amico continued with the ceremony. Students at the Law, Government & Community Service H.S., Jamaica were presented with awards by Lily Jung Burton, U.S.P.S. Triboro district manager. The school, with a total enrollment of 509 students in grades nine through 12, offers a small school setting focusing on academic excellence, leadership and citizenship skills to prepare students for careers in law and other public service fields. In 2006, 990 students applied for 155 seats in the school.

Civil Term Administrative Judge Randall T. Eng and Criminal Term Administrative Judge Jeremy S. Weinstein were the guest speakers. Both emphasized the importance of jury duty service to the fabric of the justice system and noted that the stamp is especially appropriate for

Queens, the most diverse county in the United States. Eng also noted that the U.S.P.S. has always delivered mail to him consistently and efficiently, even though at times his life experiences, including service in the U.S. Army, have led him into rural areas and to far corners of the country.

After the stamp unveiling, Burton delivered closing remarks. The speakers and dignitaries present also received framed commemorative "panes" of 20 stamps. Each program for the event also had one stamp affixed cancelled with a special cancellation stamp with the scales of justice and "Serve With Pride/Queens Civil Court Station/Jamaica, NY 11435/October 23, 2007."

With the stamp, the U.S. Postal Service calls attention to the importance of jury service, a cornerstone of democracy in the United States. "The Constitutions of the United States and the state of New York provide that a collective body of 'eligible' citizens shall perform as jurors, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or economic status," Chief Judge Judith S. Kaye wrote in her "Message From the Chief Judge" in the New York State Unified Court System Juror's Handbook. "It is a role you should assume with pride. While I recognize jury service is a burden, interrupting your personal and business lives, it is also a unique privilege we enjoy as citizens. Jury service is thus not only your responsibility but also your opportunity to participate in the American justice system, to learn firsthand how it works, and to help us make it work better."