Sunday, September 25, 2005
Civic Duty
Well, tomorrow I have jury duty. It figures that I'd finally get called at a time that is just SO inconvenient. I've actually always wanted to serve on a jury, although I'm sure those of you who've had to sit on one think I'm daft for wanting to, but it would definitely be an interesting experience and who knows what kind of great story ideas I might get from it? But for pete's sake, why couldn't they have called me any of the other 5 years I've been here when I wasn't great with child (and great with the need for sleep and constant food)? Not to mention that I have an honest-to-goodness business trip to Dallas on the 8th. If it's guaranteed to be a quickie case (and how can they possibly guarantee that? They told my mom her case would be a week or two, and it turned into three months!) then I wouldn't mind so much, but the fact is you never know how long it might be, and that's not a risk I want to take right now. I'm hoping it won't be a risk THEY want to take, either, and that my massive stomach will elicit their mercy. So those of you who are the praying sort, please send up a plea for compassion for me. I'll let you know tomorrow how it all turns out....
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5 comments:
I'll be praying for you. It sounds like you've got several legit reasons for asking to get out of us or asking for a deferrment or whatever you do. I haven't had to serve jury duty yet and I've always wanted to as well. :-)
I just served jury duty last spring for the first time -- it was FASCINATING! I think all states (all counties even?) do it differently, but I had to go Mon-thru-Thurs and I never got picked to actually be a juror on a case. But it was still a very interesting look into the legal system. BUT for your sake Al I can see how you really don't want to do it.
So?? Did you get picked?? huh, huh, didja?
you need to put the word verification thingy on here so that you don't get spam comments... you can find it on your dashboard when you first log in.
Meg, you're right, it differs from state to state and county to county. Here in the OC we have what's called "one day, one trial" meaning you show up for one day, and you may get chosen for a jury or you may not, and if you're not, you're done for the year. A couple hundred of you sit in the jury room, and they'll call for specific types of people, or else call random names, and if you get let go by the jduge, you go back into the jury pool to be considered again (unless a judge completely dismisses you, like he did me). We used to have a two week jury pool, meaning you had to show up every day for two weeks to be considered, and if you weren't, you were excused for, olike, 7 years. But can you imagine being away from work for two weeks?! So they changed it about 10 years ago. The OC is the most litigated county in the state (or is it the country? Can't remember) so they go through jurors like crazy. It's weird, though--supposedly it's a completely random system that pulls names from the voter's registration list and the DMV, yet there are some people who never ever get called and other people that get called every single year. What's up with that?! I hope I don't end up being one of the yearlies. Not sure why they have to make it random, frankly; just go alphabetically or something!
Speaking of your "massive stomach" (which by the way I'm sure is a GRAND exaggeration!), when will you be sharing a preggo picture or two??? ;-)
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