Justice is blind (and needs a new watch)
I got summoned to jury duty this week, and each evening I’ve gone to the jury commission’s website with a twinge of dread that my jury pool number would be ordered to report.
Well, last night, group 615 — my group — got the call.
So I worked from home this morning and made the trek down to the courthouse.
It’s not located in Cracksville by any means, but I did have more than one homeless guy urban survivalist badger me for spare change.
Once at the courthouse, I got to stand in a security queue (bag searches, metal detectors) that, I swear, rivaled some of the TSA’s finest examples of inefficiency.
Some time later — hours or epochs (or, okay, minutes) I cannot say — I made my way to Room 307, the Jury Assembly Room. Give me your tired, huddled masses and I’ll do you one better by adding bored to the mix.
Some random employee (she said her name, but none of us moved to write it down; it’s not like she’s gonna get on our Christmas card lists) came in and explained what the jury selection process would look like, what our obligations would be if we were picked, et cetera.
And then she played the video.
You know the one: California is the greatest state in the union; it’s our civic duty — nay, privilege! — to bring meaning to the entire justice system as jurors; many people who’ve served on juries have enjoyed the experience so much that they keep in touch with their fellow jurors; yadda yadda yadda.
I should point out that I don’t inherently disagree with the “civic duty” part. Hell, I think a real trial could be interesting to compare to Mock Trial and far too many seasons of the Law & Order family of shows.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not gonna ridicule the process of The Process. And here’s where that ridicule comes in handy:
After summoning us, preaching to us (in their completely secular way, of course), and making us wait (and wait), they announce that both of the courtrooms that might’ve needed our presence are not, in fact, ready for us.
And so: “Jurors dismissed; you don’t have to come back for twelve months.”
I’m proud to have done my civic duty. It gave me a great opportunity to catch up on some homework be a key part of the American legal system.
The only time that I have been summoned to jury duty, I was very glad to have bought a newspaper outside the building first thing in the morning on my way in. I got to sit in many fancy locations (such as “Hallway”, “Cafeteria”, and “Big Room Of Potential Jurors”) before finally being told at 4:30pm that my services were not required, and that I could indeed just leave.
That day was the only day in my entire life that I have read every article in a newspaper.
Not Fair…
I have been summoned twice and twice ended up on a jury. One Criminal one Civic. Both very interesting to participate in. Although the last one, the civic one, was far closer to Law and Order than the criminal one was. This one was chock full of sidecars and objections. I read two books during the two and a half weeks of being on that jury.
Love Sara