Dear reader, as you know I’m over 40, closer to 50 than 40 if I’m being honest but you’ll have to figure out my age on your own if you are interested. Loyal readers already know, assuming they have been paying attention. My point is that I am at the age where very few new things happen to me. Most of the first’s in my life happen around others for instance my New Niece’s first Halloween was a few days ago and it was most definitely not my first but it was fun witnessing the holiday through her 10 month old eyes. She didn’t really understand what was going on but you could tell she felt the day was different. I look forward to next year when her “first” real Halloween happens cause I think by then she’ll be old enough to know it’s not just about getting in a pretty dress and taking a picture, which we totally did that too. Next year I hope to get to watch her toddle down the street on her way to the first “trick or treat” at a neighbors house. This year we just practiced walking in her living room while Garfield’s Halloween Adventure played in the background. Apparently my little ball of love has decided to just skip over crawling and go straight to walking. She can crawl mind you … she just goes backwards. It is kind of funny cause as she crawls away from whatever she wants she gets mad cause it’s getting farther away not closer. I did my best to convince her to go the other way and my bruised up knees are proof of that. There are lots of first heading her way, first thanksgiving, first Christmas, first birthday, but those belong to her and I’m just there for the ride.
However, October also had a first for me. I had my first reporting for Jury Duty. Not sure why after all these years they decided to call me but they did and I reported and it was definitely a first. I wish I could tell you it was an amazing trial and very interesting but I can’t. I can’t even fully tell you what it was really about other than a wrongful death case. The reason I don’t know these things will be made clear very soon.
So I drag myself out of bed on that faithful day, frankly glad to not be going to work. I get ready. I get in my car. I head to the courthouse at the appointed time I have been told to be there. Now I was told you can’t have a phone in the courthouse. I also read that on the website. So I left my phone in the car. I was the only person told this and most definitely the only person that read it on the website. Lesson learned. That was a long 2.5 hours. I was literally the only person in that room that did not have a phone. I had a book. But no phone. I learned something that day, when you don’t have a phone you don’t have a lot. I didn’t know what time it was. I panicked at one point that I would need my jury number and thought oh it was on my summons. Oh wait I had to runt hat in, no biggie I took a picture of it. It’s on my phone….which is in my car and no help at all. Sigh.
I did however have two battery back ups, I always keep at least one in my backpack (cause I’m too cool for a traditional purse – I use a sling bag) but for some reason today I had two. One of my fellow jurors phone was dying at like 8:30 and I let him borrow it. He still has it. More on that in a minute.
So I sat there trying and failing to not fall asleep, truth be told I think I did actually fall asleep at one point. Then all of the sudden this lady starts telling us what to expect for the day ahead. She also announced that once we were chosen for a Jury our phones would have to be off and in bags but they admitted that Jury Duty participants would need their phone so they were going to let us keep our phones but cautioned us to not use it outside of the Jury room. I was like well that wasn’t on the website. Anywhoooo……. Not too long after that a guy came out to “certify” us as jurors. Then he left. Then they started calling names, if your name was called you were to come up cause that meant you were being added to a “Panel.” Panel one came and went off to wherever a Panel goes (I assume a courtroom) when they are assembled. Panel 2 started and all of the sudden I heard my name. We were off. There were 60+ people in my “panel.” Upon calling everyone they led us out of the room and down the hall to a courtroom already full of people, where we sat in the order that we were called. I had a front row seat to the show. The Judge who was super nice but I can’t remember his name to save my life told us this was a wrongful death case and that we’d know more about that later. Then he asked up a crap ton of questions. By the time he finished it was lunchtime and instructed us not to talk to one another or other Jurors from other panels about what was happening inside the courtrooms. He stressed we were free to get to know one another but just don’t talk about the case. By then my eyeballs were swimming and I and about 40 of my fellow jurors made a beeline to the bathroom. By the time I made it down the elevator I had about 30 minutes left in my “lunch break” so I first walked to the car to retrieve my phone then I grabbed a coke and some chips and just sat somewhere to check my messages and see what the outside world had going on.
Upon returning to the courtroom we had to line back up in our number order then walk back into the courtroom to sit in our assigned seats. We had more questions from the Judge and about 30 minutes in a fellow juror got up and left the room. The judge stopped everything and told the jury to leave the room for a break. Apparently we weren’t allowed to continue until the juror came back. Yeah no one told us that or she might not have left. So that took about 30 minutes. She was back after 5, but whatever. When we were all reseated it was time for the lawyers to ask questions, as part of the Jury selection process. That’s right we hadn’t even really got started and now it was close to 2pm. So she starts asking questions and when I say questions what I mean is she basically asked the same question about 15 different ways. Then people had to respond and anyone that raised a hand had an opportunity to speak. She’d say will this affect your ability to make a judgement and they would say no and sit down. After a while I thought oh my god just sit down then why raise your hand if you know it won’t make a difference. Two guys god love em said they didn’t care either way and didn’t want to be there. That got a chuckle especially when another guy stood up and said I agree. A few times the other side objected and they had a “sidebar” with the judge. Something was asked that he didn’t like at all and he sent us out of the room for a 2nd time while he talked with the Lawyers. Man was I glad I got my phone. TWO HOURS … for TWO hours we all stood in the hottest hallway on the planet. They finally called us back in only to tell us that the “jury pool had been compromised and he had declared a mistrial.” That they were going to regroup, get a new panel, and that our services were no longer necessary.
So we literally sat there all day long for nothing. The Judge had told
us earlier that if we were chosen for the Jury it was expected the case was going
to be at least a week and a half but likely longer. So I guess I dodged a bullet
but I would have liked to have seen it through. I did find the process fascinating
but also a lot of wasted time and effort. Maybe next time it won’t be so bad.
Marcy
No comments:
Post a Comment