Jury Duty

Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it sitting for six hours at the Daley Center's jury assembly room. It took me almost 2 hours to get downtown and perhaps 1 hour to get home.

But from 9:30 AM until 3:30 PM (with a 1-1/2 hour lunch break which I spent mostly in the same room) I sat there hoping to be called for jury duty. No luck. I just got to sit while others were called to serve. Perhaps there were about 50 of us that never even got a call for jury selection.

I kept thinking, "This must be what DETENTION is like for school kids!" It was kind of like the movie, "The Breakfast Club." I got to see others go off to be questioned to be potential jurors while I got to sit and read magazine after magazine. Of course, we also got to watch ABC - TV as well. But watching All My Children and General Hospital doesn't quite cut it when you have no idea what the show is about because you aren't a regular watcher!

I'm no stranger to the court system as you know. I had worked for the DA's Office in San Diego for many years, so I've participated in many trials as an expert witness. I've also prepared many of the court exhibits that were used in criminal cases as well. So I really wanted to be on the jury side of the room this time, but it was not to be.

I received $17.20 for my time from the courts. That didn't even cover the $28 for parking, nor the gas and wear and tear on my vehicle.

Maybe next time...