Summary: Literary editor Matthew Schmitz recounts his day in a Manhattan jury pool. He failed to be selected for the jury, but he made many colorful friends. Now he argues, in the spirit of Tocqueville, for fewer plea bargains, more jury trials, and the death penalty. Then, Matthew talks to associate editor Julia Yost about his Back Page column in the November issue. He argues, in the spirit of Confucius, against the utilitarian ethos that prevails at elite universities. What would the Master say about Princeton’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public Policy?
