I received yet another summons to Jury Duty. I don't know why, but my room mate and I get them pretty often. This is my third summons, and I decided to postpone it for three months, from 9/11/2006 to 12/11/2006.
The place was jammed packed with people. I was starting to have serious problems with anxiety being so closely packed, but after the morning cases started up, groups of 20 to 40 jurors would be taken and it would leave the assembly room slightly less crowded.
I was not called for the 4 groups that morning, but the rest of us had to remain in the building in case they needed more jurors for new cases, or if they needed to replace a juror. So we sat around and I read my books, generally battling boredom in close quarters.
We eventually broke for lunch from 1145a until 115p. I spent most of it in the same room (now mostly empty) because I had brought my own lunch, because the whole idea of running around finding a place to eat was too much for me to handle, and I found it much more relaxing to eat by myself. Eventually, I moved outside, and ate the second half of my lunch sitting in the sun.
I did finally get called into jury selection. My name was the very last name called (I was Juror Number 45). We were filed up to the courtroom, and for the next 2 hours, we were asked questions of the judge and the attorneys. They'd ask if any of us had any life experiences that might cloud our judgement of the defendant. What I found entertaining (and towards the end, really irritating) was the extent folks will go to get out of jury duty. Every scenario, no matter how unlikely, sent at least 10 hands in the air, of jurors saying they had that scenario (they were robbed, they knew a Hispanic person, they knew a police officer) and wanted to get off the case. The judge pretty much would not hear any of it. She even dismissed the arguments of three students, who were due for final exams this week.
My original plan was to answer the questions as inflammatory as I could. But in the end, watching the behaviour of the other prospective jurors, I felt silly and childish. By the end of the 2 hour process, I had considered myself a shoe-in because I was one of the very few who did not have any problems with the case.
As it turns out, I never did get selected. Oddly, as the released jurors were leaving the building, I commented to another person that I felt some disappointment at not being chosen. And I really am disappointed.
Oh well, I will probably get another opportunity in another 18 months.
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