Tales from jury duty.

Tomorrow morning, I will be reporting to the courthouse to answer the call of jury duty. This is a chance to see our judicial system in action while getting to take the day off from work. It is definitely an interesting experience.

Alas, this is not my first time being called to serve. In fact this will be my fourth time that my keen juror skills have been called into action. Well, almost keen.

The first time I was summoned was uneventful. All I did was call some automated system each day to find out when to come in but that was as far as I got.

The second time was more interesting. I actually got placed in the jury this time but just as we sat down in the courtroom for the trial, it was announced that the two parties had reached a settlement to end their dispute. But they made it known that the looming jury selection helped accelerate this process.

Then a few years later I got called in again. I remember walking into the courtroom with the other prospective jurors and seeing the defendant seated at the table next to his attorney while taking notes. Then the attorney asked his client to smile, and the defendant flashed a mouth full of gold teeth. Immediately the prosecution objected. I didn’t get picked for the jury so I never got to see how that trial played out.

Now I’m getting ready to go in again. I don’t know what’s in store at the courthouse this time, but chances are good that this could play out like a real life Law And Order, but without the commercials.