For the month of April, I have been on call for Federal jury duty. They called me once at the beginning but then canceled it. So, as it got to the end of the month, I thought I had "made it". But on the last day they could possible call me....they did.
Now, I put in quotes "made it" because we all know the groan that we let out when we receive that letter calling us to jury duty.....what goes through our minds as we list ways we think we can "get out of it". You know what I'm talking about....we all do it.
But that changed for me this week.
Monday morning, bright and a little too early, I was up and headed down to the court house. Went through the security scan and ended up in a room with a couple hundred other people.....all looking none too happy to be there. After checking in and waiting about 30 minutes, we were shown a movie hosted by Sandra Day O'Connor that was just "slightly" outdated.....they told us we couldn't research a trial we were on when we got home in our encyclopedias.....I'm pretty sure the 21 year old sitting near me didn't know what that was! Anyway, after the movie, we waited some more and then they called out about 60 names. I held my breath. Sara Bowyer. Called in the first 5 names.
Great.
We were taken up 4 floors to a court room where all our names were put in a box and they randomly drew out 31 names. Again I held my breath.....my week is SO BUSY, I thought! Sara Bowyer. Called in the first 20 names.
So I joined the rest in the jurors box. The judge proceeded to ask us different questions which sometimes immediately sent someone home. his next question...Is anyone in your family part of the FBI or do you have any friends that are FBI?
This is my chance! One of our closest friends is FBI in Little Rock! Yes, your Honor, I do know someone in the FBI!
I am still sitting in the jurors box.
All the potential jurors are sent on a 15 minute break. As we come back in and are seated, they call out the names of the 12 jurors and 1 alternate......juror #7....Sara Bowyer.
As the judge dismissed the rest of the jurors, he focused his attention on us....
"I want to thank you for serving and want to ask that you take this time seriously. If in the future, you ever found yourself needing a jury.....you would want them to take it seriously........."
I had never thought about it like that.
Yes, I would want people who wanted to be there. People who would listen well to all the facts. People who would weigh everything carefully.
That is what I intend to do.
to be continued......
10 comments:
Sara I can tell you this, if I needed a jury I would definately want YOU on it! Good luck, I hope it is an easy decision and a short trial.
Sara I can tell you this, if I needed a jury I would definately want YOU on it! Good luck, I hope it is an easy decision and a short trial.
I agree with her! I hope it's interesting, not too gruesome or disturbing, and you feel absolutely confident that justice is prevailing (and everyone else agrees with that too). I'm afraid to admit this somewhere public on the internet....but, I've never been called for jury duty! Crazy, huh? Watch it happen year after year from here on out.
I agree with the other Sara. As un-fun as it is, we definitely need people like you on there!
bravo, sara!
hope all goes well
I sat in the juror room two days but never made it into questioning phase
I would TOTALLY want you on my jury:)
Enjoy all the crazy of the next few weeks. HS graduation is so exciting. Good luck!
I have always found the legal process so fascinating! I can't wait to hear all about your observations!
Good Luck!
R
I've never once been called for jury duty. I half imagine it as a Grisham novel, although I'm sure it's not that much 'fun'. I know that you will be a fair and just juror, though, Sara. And how interesting to hear the whole process. (At first, right? :)
There's a reason you're there...
I wonder how it's going...
Blessings...
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