Jury Duty Today

Whew! Just got back from a day at the courthouse. Managed to get this week's review written and posted while in the waiting room, but then the rest of the day got swallowed up in the jury selection process.

The trial is scheduled to run until February 21st. Thankfully, I was excused from service this time, either due to knowing one of the cops on the witness list(we go to a church with an unusual amount of cops), or due to my wife's work schedule and our two little boys. I think this is the first time my sons have actually HELPED me get more work hours in! ;-)

Glad to be home!

You better have listened to the song Jury Duty on your way there and back. Who would have known knowing so many cops would be a good thing, huh?

Oh and I've never gotten picked up for jury duty somehow. Well, I take that back, my parents have gotten the summons for me before (my official address for Washington state is still my parent's house), but each time I've been selected I've been in either Afghanistan or Korea, so the state decided not to use me as a jury member.

I'm 40. I have been a registered voter and "in the system" since I was 18. I have never once been called for jury duty. Ever.

Guess I shouldn't complain, since the pay you get for jury duty stinks. As the primary income earner in my household, serving on a jury could be seen as a financial hardship.

The one and only time I have ever been selected for jury duty, it was for a Federal Jury, the kind that keep you sequestered for weeks at a time. And it was right around Christmas two years ago lol. Luckily it got canceled and i didnt have to go.

Man it was funny to watch as potential jurors seemed to reveal more and more of their "biases", seemingly trying to one-up each other so they could get out of jury duty.

One guy, on the way in from a break said "Well, let's see if we win the lottery!" and then proceeded to emphasize repeatedly how much he trusts the word of police over and above everyone else when questioned by the judge. When asked if he could overcome this view and give equal weight to all testimony, he shrugged and with (what seemed to be) false effort, smiled saying, "Well...I can try."

I'm no mind reader, but I'm thinking he was pretty happy when he was excused a little while later. ;-)