Tears well in the eyes of the 34-year-old part-time nurse as she squirms in the witness box. She pauses, sips from a glass of water, looks down, and continues her story of how she was sexually assaulted by a fellow immigrant from her home country. I am Juror Number 4, sitting with 11 others I have never met before, all of us sworn to decide fairly the fate of a man charged with five counts of sexual assault, unlawful confinement and extortion. My journey to Ontario Superior Court Room 2-4 in downtown Toronto begins with a summons in the mail from the sheriff, ordering me to report on a Monday morning at 8:30. Many with child-care or health issues, jobs that will not pay them while they are away or who are self-employed, are excused. Every jury is overseen by a court official, and our minder, Mirella, tells us we can't eat in the building cafeteria in case we run into any of the parties to the case. As the judge later reminds us, the defendant has no obligation to prove a thing. He is, after all, presumed innocent. It is against the law to reveal the deliberations of a jury. This is a sensible provision that allows jurors to speak honestly in confidence that their words will never be used against them.