In 1791 with the passage of the Sixth Amendment, the right to a jury trial was specifically protected. Though initially only applicable to federal cases, with the enactment of the Fourteenth Amendment this protection was extended to the state level. But what happens when a state suspends jury trials, as is the case in New Hampshire?

Done to help mitigate a projected budget deficit, it’s curious that other governmental programs, ones that don’t fall anywhere near the “protection of people and property” umbrella that many see as the core function of government, have not been ended. If the budget situation in New Hampshire is really so dire why haven’t elected reps and bureaucrats set their sights on ending the Boxing and Wrestling Commission, allowed for economic freedom by disbanding the Board of Licensure and Certification (not to mention the Board of Barbering, Cosmetology, and Esthetics), or maybe end the DARE program (deemed a failure by the General Accounting Office)?

But, on the other hand, maybe some good will come out of this. It’s clear, at least to me, that when individuals engage in voluntary interactions it leads to a much more peaceful, prosperous world. Whether that transaction be buying coffee from a local Dunkin Donuts (they’re everywhere in NH), hiring someone to fix something in your house (i.e. plumber, interior designer, etc.) or your person (i.e. medical-related), or deciding the appropriate punishment to remedy a wrong (i.e. mutually-agreed upon arbitrator), perhaps this latest action by state officials will instill in more folks the concept of personal responsibility and private solutions rather than always turning to the government to address things.

For more on this, check out the Freedom: My Anti-Gov overview on Bureaucrash Social. Also, interact with folks pretty damn familiar with the going-ons in New Hampshire in the groups Free State Project and Free Talk Live listeners.

For even more, check out a couple of groups that work on related issues:  The Fully Informed Jury Association and Judicial Accounability Initiative Law.