In early February I received a notice in the mail that I was to report for Jury Duty on March 6, 2017. Well crap. It was the first time I received that and I was really not very happy about it. Molly loved jury duty, Gloria was a hostile jurist and was dismissed on Tuesday without being sent off for selection. I mailed back the information card and advised my boss and waited for the date. Thankfully I did not have to be there until 10:00 so I could drop Baylor as usual but I always get nervous leaving the pick up to Gloria because her work can make her stay late a drop of the hat. But she did tell them I was in jury duty and they said they would do their best to not make her work late. The Jury Assembly room was filled with backless couches, tables and lots of chairs. We had to check in and fill out a jury survey asking questions about me and my spouse and true or false questions about how I would be likely to answer this question or that. By the time we were all checked in the room was full with 150 people. No one talked to us until around 11:15 so we chatted with each other. Then a sheriff told us he and his staff were there to protect us and everyone. Then a member of the tipstaff talked us through a few steps and procedures and then the judge came and walked us through what to expect today and for the rest of the week. On the white board behind me was the number 317. That was how many cases they had on the docket to get through. After he was done talking, he was a nice judge, very personable, he told us to go ahead and leave for lunch and be back in an hour to start the selection process.
I packed my lunch and decided to stay there. The lady across from me was doing the same so we chatted while we ate. It turns out she knows my nephew Jason because she works for the school for the deaf that we went to. I filled her in on a few things she did not know and hopefully she can help him find a job! Our kids go to day care on the same street in the same town but different churches. When the man sitting at the end of table came back we were talking about how small the world, or county in this case can be, and he asked me where I work. No one knows RB or where it is but he did. His company inspects the water pump out back of the LC every month! While we were all at lunch a tipstaff changed the number of cases to 9! Apparently one of the judges was working the cases in the morning and that was all that was left for this week. Around 1:15 they called the first round of people to go to a court room. I tried to get my work laptop connected so I could work but it was futile. Our security is so high I could not connect to the courthouse network. So I looked at magazines and talked to the people around me. Then the second round came and the man next to me left. And I opened up Snapchat and made a picture.
The third round and my lady friend left. The room was getting less crowded with each 40 people leaving but I was getting bored. Snapped again to keep my peeps updated. Should say "Made it through round three" .
I thought I might be in the clear because it was pretty late and they said they close at 4:30. Well, they called round four at 3:15 and my number was called. We were walked up to court room four and asked to sit around the room. The DA asked us all general questions regarding whether we could give a fair judgement regarding this or that issue. No one said yes so the defense attorney took his turn with questions. He was just a kid, so young looking. Then 16 people had their number called to leave and then 24 of us were left in the room for the lawyers to choose 10 to leave and 14 to stay. While they sifted through the books with our questionnaires, we watched Youtube videos on the history of the courthouse and the Civil War battles in the area and where we can find the marks on the old courthouse from where it was hit by bullets or canon balls. It was odd to be watching Youtube but helped while away the time. Well, you can guess I was left when the 10 were dismissed and then since I was the last person sitting in the row of chairs I was named alternate #2 and the lady next to me was alternate #1. We were all given our instructions to return on Wednesday at 9:00 am to the jury room by court room 4. And with that we gathered up our stuff and headed home. Well, I headed to Aldi first, because I could.
I worked on Tuesday and Wednesday dropped Baylor off at COF and headed to court. A few fellow jurist were arriving at the same time I was so we walked in together and waited to be escorted into the court room. It was International Women's Day so I Snapped a few while we were waiting.
So we went into the court room, were reminded of the charges, listened to three witnesses, including the accused. Long story short, the accused, the 26 yo kid, and his mother's long term boyfriend caught feelings overs some inappropriate music, the kid wanted to talk to the bf, the bf got snappy called the kid a faggot and walked past the kid to go inside. The kid got pissed at that and pushed him in his face and then they both grabbed each other by the collars until the family rushed in from the other room to break it up. The police were called and the police filed assault charges and the bf did not drop them and the kid wanted to fight it to keep a charge off his record. After closing arguments the two alternates were told to take their stuff and leave the jury room and to not talk about it. Thankfully the judge came in and talked to us the whole time so we did not have to try not to. But when they had decided and the judge left we gave our opinions because it was said and done. We were able to be in the courtroom, outside the jury box, for the verdict. Not guilty of the charge, which we agreed with. But then the judge said he was guilt of harassment, to be sentenced later and we all whipped around and watched him be walked out in handcuffs.
The most interesting part was after everyone left other than three interns and the jury, and the judge talked to us about everything. It was fascinating to see how they protected us from ever knowing he was currently in jail in another county for other charges but they made sure we never saw him come in or leave. That there was this lesser charge on the table that he would get if we found him not guilty, the lawyer knew it and the kid should have known it. That the mom was subpoenaed but did not come because who would she defend, her son or bf? Even though it was equally their faults and it sounded like they did not get a long anyway. Anyway, they did a great job protecting us from anything other than what we needed to know to decide on the case. If it ever happens again, I don't want to be an alternate. All guts and no glory!! I am off the hook for at least three years.
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