So…does anyone know exactly how people get selected for jury duty?  Some say if you are a registered voter…others say taxes…yet others say it is hit and miss…I am one of the few and lucky that gets selected EVERY year to appear and I believe it is because I was in the military.  I think they believe that you are patriotic and want to help the country and they feel we are “more than happy” to serve.  

Well I got the summons in the mail a few weeks ago that I was the “lucky” person who was going to “get” to join about 120 others in Jury Duty starting today.  So the announcement says to report by 8:30am…hmmm…it probably should have said to report no later than 10:00am as that is when the last potential jurors finally got seated. 

Then it was time to watch 2 marvelous videos about it being our civic duty to serve and what a juror actually does in a trial.   Funny thing…they were newer recordings but were actually VHS tapes that the operator had a bit of difficulty starting.  Don’t we do this every week people?  Maybe we should practice a bit more to get that old VCR working!

By 11:00am the first group was called…not my name…but of course I couldn’t be excused as there are some other trials that need jurors.  They say “Why don’t you take a 30 minute break”…of course we had to come back in and sit for another 30 minutes following the break until they called more names for the next “round” of jurors.  YIPPEE!!! Finally I get called and we are taken to “our” courtroom.  Herded up 50 steps (they were sure to tell us just how many steps we would be taking) to the final destiny awaiting us.

Oh wait, it’s lunch time…be back at 1:30pm sharp please.  Did I mention that 1:30pm sharp really meant “sit in the hallway until 1:45pm and then someone will let you into the door and we’ll begin jury selection”??? 

And what is the part about needing to learn the history of EVERY potential juror and their entire family?  Is it really that important to the case where the daughter of a potential juror went to school?  So I sat there thinking I was safe…plenty of jurors…maybe I wouldn’t have to play “12 Angry Men”…but wait…I hear the clerk say my name…do I hide and duck???  “Here” I exclaim and proceed to my seat in the juror box with the other citizens lucky enough to spend the gorgeous day inside this stuffy room.

Oh well…as Americans, we have “earned” this right to try our peers for their potential crimes…the way we would want to be if we were in their position.  Without bias and with open ears to hear the testimony, see the evidence and make a decision based solely on facts and evidence and not what we feel in our hearts.  Can you do this???? Yes you can.

So I return tomorrow, at 9am sharp…to a room that probably won’t open until 9:15am…to hear the evidence and gather the facts.

Adjourned.