Off Topic...Jury Duty Day One...

Per a comment from an earlier post, I am expanding upon my experience of jury duty and the process. My experience comes from one day of waiting for 2.5 hours and not being picked for a jury, and another day of waiting for a little bit less time and be selected for a jury. In the end, it was very interesting to understand how our judicial system works with a hands-on experience.

The first day of jury duty I was a little bit apprehensive because it was something I had never done before. Trying to find where to park downtown, entering the courthouse through the correct door, finding the correct room after entering, and what was expected of me upon entering said room. Figuring out where to go was easier than expected. Upon entering the jury waiting room, as expected, I checked in and grabbed a seat to await further instruction. Then, the County Clerk introduced herself, welcomed, thanked everyone for coming, and started an instructional movie about the Judicial system. This movie, as you might expect, was taped in the 80s and very informative, but will not be winning an award. Then, those who had not had jury duty earlier in the week were "sworn in." Afterward, we were left to our own devices to fill time until the judges were ready for us. Luckily, I had talked with someone that had been on jury duty before and they told me to take something to keep me busy, consequently, I took a book.

When the judges were finally ready for us the County Clerk called our names and the court Bailiffs took us downstairs to the proper court room. Once in the courtroom the Judge called our names and had us sit in a certain order starting in the jury gallery and leading into the back public seating area. Once in this arrangement the Judge began asking questions, about our personal experiences, that might determine if we had a conflict of interest. Examples would include: Do you know any of the parties involved? Do you know a member of any police force? Do you have any prior cases? et cetera. After the Judge's questions, the representing Attorneys had a chance to ask further questions they thought pertinent to the case. Once the questioning was over they sent everyone out to the hallway so the judge and attorneys could pick the jury. After about 10 minutes they called everyone back in and sat the jury. As I was not called, I was free to go.

Day two to come...