Day 159

WHAT?? JURY DUTY AGAIN?

I just served on a jury last June

Look what came in today's mail. Another jury duty summons. I have already served on 3 trials. First was a 2 day drug deal at the Seattle courthouse fifteen or more years ago. Then I had a month and a half or was it 2 month murder trial more than a dozen years ago. Then last June I served on a two-week civil trial. All guilty verdicts. Since the last trial was a civil trial, we DIDN'T find the defendant guilty. But finding FOR the defendant made me feel like the plaintiff was GUILTY. Really, that plaintiff needed a spanking! And the plaintiff's attorneys needed to get in line for a spanking for taking this case! Seems like a pattern, doesn't it!? Yup, you guessed it....I'm tough on crime.

So why do I have yet another summons?? I know lots of people who never even get called for jury duty. I guess once you are in the system, your number keeps popping up. I should be so lucky with the lottery. Oh, I forgot....I have to buy a ticket first. 

But really. This is getting a little ridiculous. I must admit that it is interesting to serve on a jury. It is nothing like TV! I have found myself questioning the lawyers. "Object, object!" I shout to myself. What are they thinking anyway? Why isn't the judge stopping this banter? "No, no, no....don't have her testify!" But, I am relegated to taking notes. Page after page of notes that later I have trouble deciphering! And then when the trial is over and we need to deliberate, we look over all the physical evidence, our notes, court documents and we discuss. Verdict reached. It's finally time to go home. Oh wait. The prosecutors, defense attorneys and the judge are available to those of us who want to talk with them and ask questions. Like "Why did this ever come to trial??" That's me. I DO, I DO, I DO want to meet with them! That part goes quickly and we discover things that couldn't be admitted in the trial. Now I get to go home. And I can finally talk about the trial. That is the difficult part. Having to keep it all to myself, make up my own mind, discuss and perhaps strongly disagree if necessary. Vote. Discuss. Revote. Sternly discuss and you guessed it. REVOTE! And let it go. On to real life. 

If you haven't served on a trial, and you receive a summons in the mail, I suggest you go. You might just find it interesting and you will have the pleasure of knowing you exercised your brain and made a difference. Oh well, for me, I definitely made a difference. GUILTY!! Gosh I hope it is not another long trial........