Deaf Juror Gets Respect

Two sign language interpreters took turns translating the four days of proceedings in a recent Atlanta murder trial for one of the jurors. Keith Davis had been called to jury duty twice but the deaf man had never been selected. He got the call on the third go-round making it a first for him as well as the judge, both attorneys and the other jurors. They told the local media they were impressed with what Davis was able to pick up on nonverbally and how much he contributed to the deliberations. Davis didn't learn sign language until he was nearly 20 years old because he was sent to a school that taught lip reading. The outcome: jurors convicted the defendant. He was sentenced to life in prison.