The Jury's Still Out

    Today I experienced a new first. Today was my first time I was called in for jury duty. I left the house full of pride for doing my civic duty. I was eager to see the American justice system at work,  and to experience for myself just what it is about jury duty that so many comedians over the years hated so much.

    Really, there isn't much to tell. I didn't make it through the jury selection process, in fact, they didn't even get to me before they had selected all the jurors they needed. It wasn't a criminal trial either, just a civil suit. So I wasn't privy to any enticing crime scene photos or stories of crimes of passion. In fact I'm sure I could post every detail I know about the case and not a single reader would care. (I'm not going to, that's like, super illegal)

This is what I thought jury duty would be like. TV has misled me again.

    I swear there is something about people waiting on you that causes you to want to make them wait some more. Think of every appointment you've ever had scheduled. Think of every plane you've ever flown on. Has a single one of them started on time? My experience has been no. But, I digress and will return to the jury duty story.

    I was informed (in the official summons they send) that my failure to appear on time could be considered contempt of court. So, I showed up fifteen minutes early for jury selection. Then, I waited for nearly an hour while the teams of lawyers, the judge, and a couple of aides milled around (in no big hurry mind you) setting things up.

    When they did start addressing the juror pool, I thought (with relief) that the waiting was over, but instead it just turned out to be waiting without my phone. (which we all know is much worse) I don't know how large a typical juror pool is, but there were 80 of us all put in the same room. We were numbered randomly, and told that only 23 people would be tentatively selected. (quick break-down: 12 people sit on a jury, 1 serves as an alternate. each team of lawyers gets to nix 5 jurors without giving any reason. 12+1+5+5=23)

    

That bench looks so much more comfortable than the folding chair I got.

    I was 'potential juror #59'. So, that meant 36 people had to be determined to be unsuitable jurors before my services would be needed. (the math gets a little difficult here: 59-23=36) So my experience with jury selection was sitting in a gymnasium (they cited COVID as the reason they were holding it in such a large room) for four and a half hours watching other people answer questions from the lawyers. 

    It was boring. It was tedious. But let me share a thought that the judge opened with (I'm paraphrasing here, I don't remember his exact wording): It is a vast privilege to be living in a country in which the common man has a part in the justice process. There are too many places in the world where the fates of the accused are decided by a handful of those in power.

    So I didn't have to serve as a juror in a full trial. (not yet anyway, my name is still in the pool for another 11 months) But I get to say that I did my civic duty, and that comes with a (ever so small) feeling of achievement, despite the fact that I sat on my ass all damn day.