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April 26, 2006
Serving Peace, Truth and Justice
I've got jury duty.
Yep. I got the letter in the mail about showing up for jury duty. When I tell most people this, they start to explain to me how to get out of it, but the truth is I'm kind of excited about it. I've never served on a jury and I think it will be fascinating. If yesterday's few hours at the Yolo County Courthouse were any indication, I'm right,too.
It would be possible to look at the whole experience as having to sit on an uncomfortable wooden bench for hours and listen to people talk about the same things over and over, but as a people watching opportunity, it's amazing.
I love people watching. I can sit and watch people in restaurants, movie theater lines, stores, whatever, for hours. I love eavesdropping on their conversations and trying to figure out what the people are talking about and what they're trying to do and what may be stopping them.
It's especially fascinating in a courthouse. First, there are the main players. The judge, the D.A. and the defense attorney who, in this case, are all so perfect for the parts they're playing that they look like they came from central casting. What was that phone call the defense attorney took in the middle of asking jurors questions? I'm not supposed to try and speculate what that sidebar between the judge and the two lawyers was about, but darn it's hard not to.
Then there are my fellow prospective jurors. What did that guy to do his leg that put him in that brace? How many hours did it take that young woman to get her hair into those sausage curls with the blonde streaks all so amazingly uniform? That guy is actually a retired milkman? I didn't even know there were milkmen still! Cool!
We're not done with jury selection yet, so today could be my last day. I'm going to bring a notebook and try and make the most of it!
Posted by Eileen at 10:50 AM | Comments (5)
Comments
I got called for jury duty for the first time recently. I was excited, too! Unfortunately, the day I was supposed to show up was the day before my pregnancy due date - so I had to excuse myself! Good thing, too - on that date, I'd already been in labour for 2.5 days!
Posted by: Jennifer at April 26, 2006 11:12 AM
As a trial lawyer, can I just say THANK YOU FOR NOT TRYING TO GET OUT OF JURY DUTY!!! We LOVE having informed and educated jurors sit on the jury. I'm glad you find it interesting!
Can't wait to hear about it!
Posted by: Alesia Holliday ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.literarychicks.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at April 26, 2006 1:32 PM
I was psyched when I got called for jury duty and discovered that it would be a MURDER TRIAL. I sat around all day with the other prospective jurors. There were a LOT of us. And they segregated the men from the women. I was pregnant with my son, so this was only 11 years ago.
Anyway, I quickly discovered that the attorney for the defense was the father of someone I'd gone to school with. As I stepped up to the witness stand, the attorney said, "Hello Lauren!" and the judge winked at me and said, "Goodbye Lauren!"
*sigh* It would have been so cool, too.
Posted by: laurenjharwood at April 26, 2006 3:35 PM
Sigh. I didn't get chosen. I didn't even make into the box to answer questions. Still, it was fascinating.
Jennifer, YOU WERE IN LABOR FOR 2.5 DAYS???!!!???? Sweet Goofballs of Gaia! Tell me that you had a truckload of painkiller on board!
Eileen R
Posted by: Eileen at April 26, 2006 4:29 PM
I never seem to live anywhere long enough to qualify, or I'm a resident alien who can't vote/sit on a jury, sigh. However, there was a jury story that made me smile recently - apparently a dog was accidentally placed on the electoral roll and was called up for service. The dog wasn't trying to evade her civic duty when she refused - it was just that she couldn't, you know, talk!
Jennifer, I hear you on the long labor! Teenager #1 took about the same amount of time to make an appearance and all I can say is thank god for the epidural!
Posted by: Michelle C at April 28, 2006 10:27 AM
