Jury Duty?

What thoughts come to mind when you hear the words “jury duty?” If placed on the Scales of Justice, one side might have on it duty, privilege and honor -- concepts remembered from a long ago social studies class – while the other side might have loss of work, sacrifice, boredom and how do I get out of this???

I was summoned to appear for a pool of potential jurors in our county’s civil court last Monday. There were about 75 to 80 of us who were first grouped together in two rooms with straight chairs, rest rooms, poor coffee service, a vending machine and a TV that was on the static channel.

I had started out on the wrong foot with this experience. In August, I received the summons that I might have to appear on September 17, 2007. I wrote a note down on my calendar to check the county website after 4 p.m. September 14 to find out if I actually had to appear or was excused. What I hadn’t done was fill out the required questionnaire attached to the summons which was supposed to have been sent back immediately after receiving the summons.

I finally completed the survey on the night of September 13, quickly filling it out online while I waited for the sheriff’s knock at the door. That didn’t happen, but I figured my chances of being “excused” when I checked the court website online were nil.

I found myself milling around with the other jurors beginning at 8:30 a.m. Monday until we were called into the assignment room. We were each given a seat in one of four “boxes.”  I took my seat as Juror No. 7 in Box 4.

If you want to see unhappy faces, spend some time in the jury bull pen. Honestly, absolutely no one wants to be there and it’s as clear on their faces as the word “juror” is on their stickered name tags.

All of the members of Box 4 were called to a courtroom later in the morning for jury selection for an insurance coverage case. One by one each of the 24 of us had to go into another room where we were questioned by a clerk in front of the two attorneys involved in this case. The clerk asked fairly general questions and then we returned to our seats. Later the attorneys took a list of our names and struck some that they didn’t want to have on the jury. Suffice it to say my role as Juror #7 continued.

With a 12 person jury and one alternate chosen, we were allowed to go to lunch. Conversation pretty much revolved around the fact that we did not want to be there, what we were missing in the real world, how the moms would have to find a way to deal with childcare issues and how much income everyone would lose as the trial progressed. We had been told it would be a two to three day trial, but in lawyer-speak, that was just a guesstimate.

The trial began at 2:55 p.m. Monday, we were dismissed at 5 p.m. and had to return for three more days.

There is a LOT of downtime involved in this jury process. For long periods of time we would find ourselves sitting around waiting for something to happen. Having no control over our movements was difficult, especially for busy people in today’s world. Cell phones were snapped open whenever they were allowed as people tried to check on their lives outside the City-County Building.

I had a good book with me, but tired of reading that after awhile. We all succumbed to the treats in the vending machine and the free coffee, even though it was lukewarm and weak. Staying alert and focused for long stretches of time was difficult and we all hoped that caffeine and chocolate would help.

I am certain I got the award for the person doing the most fidgeting during the testimony. I’m not used to sitting still for very long, and my new friend, Juror No. 6, wasn’t either. She’s a waitress at a popular greasy spoon who worked the early shift, and she had three children at home. She and I switched positions constantly, trying to get comfortable.

When I told people that I had to report for jury duty, one friend told me, “it’s so interesting.” I laughed at her, but she was right about that. After you get past the stress of having little control over your movements; of getting yourself into a busy city during rush hour when you can’t afford to be late; of making small talk with people you don’t know -- for days; of making a serious decision that will affect the lives of other people. . . yeah, it was interesting.

But as always in this life, that’s because juries are comprised of people. Strangers who are forced into an uncomfortable situation can bond pretty quickly and become friendly. But not all, of course. There are some who remained standoffish, but to my surprise, these were some of the most vocal people when we deliberated. (I wanted to ask them where all that forceful personality was during our many breaks, but never got the chance.)

You may need a scorecard to figure out any of your fellow jurors during deliberations. Don't be surprised if you think you are in the wrong room: Surely these people weren't listening to the same testimony you were? Well, they were. Guess that's the beauty of our justice system. No one knows exactly what's going on.

Someone told us that even though we had just served on a four day jury trial, our names would only be kept out of the juror pool for a year. Not long enough. We all grumbled that those who have never served should be called before we are called again. But that’s not how the system works. So my role as Juror No. 7 could be reprised.

If that happens, I may have a few more choice words to add to my thoughts about jury duty. It is a privilege, and we should all be honored to serve, but couldn't they get better coffee and move the courhouse closer to my house?

By Teresa K. Flatley

9/07