9/1/2017 What I learned about Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson after spending a week on jury duty with him

duty with him | Commentary | Dallas News

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C O M M E N TA RY DEC 23

What I learned about Exxon CEO Rex Tillerson after

spending a week on jury duty with him
Emily Roden, Contributor

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Nine years ago, I showed up to the Denton County Courthouse for jury duty and got myself picked for
the job. A young girl had accused her mom's boyfriend of sexual assault, and the case was being
brought to trial.

If you've ever served on a jury trial before, you understand the almost immediate yet very temporary
bond that ties 12 strangers together who are randomly chosen from each of their private lives to fulfill
a solemn public purpose.

One of our first tasks was to choose our jury foreman. Perhaps it was his business suit, his impressive
stature, or his charisma, but almost everyone in that jury room suggested that this middle-aged man
with graying hair was likely the most fit for the task.

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Thanks, but I decline. I'm not interested in the spotlight, he told us. I didn't think anything of it.

I had just bought my first BlackBerry and used my breaks to catch up on all the emails I was missing
from my week at the courthouse. I recall leaving the jury room on a break with this man and
remarking how busy I was and how much work I had to do. He smiled as he sat and read the paper.

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From the first day of jury selection, we all noticed another suited man always present in the
courtroom. His presence was intriguing. While grabbing lunch at Denton County Independent
Hamburger on the square the second day of the trial, we noticed this mysterious man dining with our
fellow juror who'd declined the foreman spot. The intrigue grew, and it was the talk of the jury: Who
were these men?

Finally, during a break in the jury room, one juror had the nerve to ask: "Who are you? And what do
you do?"

Our fellow jury member was reading the paper again and pointed out an article with Exxon in the
headlines. I work for them, he said humbly. 

There are a lot of people in this world who hate him for what he does, so the company gives him and
his family security protection. 

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I immediately felt embarrassed for complaining about how much work I had to do. It didn't take long
before a few internet searches revealed that I was serving on this jury with the CEO of Exxon Mobil,
Rex Tillerson.

The trial concluded, and it was time for the jury to deliberate. The story was heartbreaking, and the
facts of the case were clear enough to make the majority of the jury convinced of the guilt of this

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sexual offender of a little girl. But the defense did a good enough job to create a couple of hold-outs.
As our deliberations came to a close, it appeared we might have a hung jury.

That's when Tillerson began to speak. Humbly, delicately and without an ounce of condescension
toward those who disagreed, he began walking us all through the details of the case. I even recall
being moved by his thorough explanation about the nature of doubt and the standards set forth by our
justice system.

With great patience, this man who strikes multibillion-dollar deals with foreign heads of state
brought our scrappy jury together — to bring a sexual predator to justice and to deliver justice for a
scared and deeply wounded little girl.

A local nonprofit was instrumental in fostering that young girl through this process, providing her
counseling and legal help. I was so struck by their mission that I toured their facility the week after
the case to learn how I could donate and volunteer to their cause.

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On a whim, I decided to reach out to Tillerson to encourage him to do the same. I found an email for
him online and sent him a note, touting the role this agency played in our trial and urging him to
consider supporting the great work they do. To my surprise, I received an email back thanking me for
my note and my jury service, and ensuring me that he would contact the agency. I later received a call
from the director of that nonprofit to let me know that Tillerson followed through and gave a
generous donation.

I didn't vote for Trump. This is not an endorsement of Tillerson for secretary of state. I'm sure that the
coming days and weeks will be filled with speculation and political discussion over this clearly
controversial pick. I certainly appreciate those concerns and the process that ensures significant
scrutiny for this important position.

But during a recent news show, I heard the term "corrupt" applied to this man who I spent five days
with back in 2007.

All I know is that this man who holds one of the most powerful positions in the world and clearly has
the means and ability to side-step his jury responsibilities, served as a normal citizen without
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complaint or pretense.

I know that a scared little girl who was finally persuaded to come public with her account of abuse was
inches away from a decision that would have sided with her abuser, yet this man put his negotiation
skills to a noble use, and justice was served.

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I know that this man and his myriad aides could have ignored an unsolicited email from a girl in her
20s suggesting that he donate to a local cause, but he took the time to respond and opened up his
pocket book.

My five days with Rex Tillerson is all I know about this man and his character. And in light of the
recent news, I thought this a relevant story to tell.

Emily Roden is a small-business owner in Denton. This essay was adapted from a post that first appeared
at rodenfordenton.com. Twitter: @RodenEmily

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