Thursday, August 6, 2009

Jury duty

So this woman I work with is out today for JURY DUTY, very civic of her and all. We had all the small talk about that whole thing, tell them everyone is your cousin! HA! They won't pick you for a jury. And my jury duty story that I tell at these WATER COOLER THINGS (who has water coolers any more? I need to be on Mad Men. Except they have like whiskey tables instead of water coolers) is that I've only been chosen once and it was while I was away on my study abroad in Merry Olde England, so my parents wrote a letter for me saying ha, she's away in England and all the defendants are her cousins, thank you bye, and then I left Pennsylvania. And then I moved all over the eastern seaboard--catch me, jury duty!--and then I moved to Seattle. And bought a HOUSE and such, you know it's only a matter of time. But still I was feeling IMMUNE to jury duty, like I would NEVER get picked because I'm 36 and it has never happened even though I've been in the same place for SIX YEARS now (!). And my coworker just got picked so it's like lightning striking, I figured it gave me at least another few years to play with jury-free.

But then it came today! My first real jury duty summons! The very day my coworker is at jury duty. What are the CHANCES? CONGRATULATIONS! it said. It is an HONOR and a PRIVILEGE and a DUTY and part of living in a DEMOCRACY and blah blah. I agree, of course. I'm even a little proud, being the closet patriot that I am. But anyway. Here's hoping for a good story to come out of the day that will inspire me. I think it's even in the same courthouse where I got MARRIED, going through the metal detectors in a WEDDING DRESS like a goofball, the end.

18 comments:

shrink on the couch said...

I was summoned once in the year 1993 BC (before children) but only made it as far as this large auditorium. Was eliminated for what reason, I don't know. Got me out of a routine day at the office, so no complaint.

Since then, I've ducked out using the "small children at home" excuse.

I keep waiting for my next call to duty. Will see if I can't use the "sole proprietor" and "can't pay the mortgage unless I show up at work" excuse.

I have sat in the witness box several times. Noticed that almost all of the jurists were old and falling asleep with their eyes open. I imagine that will be me one day, paying for all these years of hookie.

Karen Jensen said...

I've spent a few days in crowded rooms, but I've never actually sat on a jury. My advice? A good book.

Anonymous said...

i want to do jury duty, but i dread being called. who will watch the kids?

Angie McCullagh said...

I always write them a letter saying I can't do it because I have small children and no family in the area to care for them. It always works. And best of all, it's true!

smalltownme said...

I escaped it for many years, then was called twice and was on trials both times.

It's very interesting, actually!

Anne-Marie said...

sorry about jury duty...
but Hugo is so BIG!
wow... has it been that long?
Can't wait to see you.

Jenn @ Juggling Life said...

I never got called at a time childcare wasn't an issue until this summer. One long day in the jury room was all I got--I was actually looking forward to a short trial.

My husband does his every 2-3 years and always gets on a trial. He must be on the "old reliable" list.

Madge said...

i have jury duty on monday -- my first time too... thinking about using the cousin thing...

Susan said...

I finally got called for the first time when I was pregnant with Studley. I was only a few months along, but people had already started asking if I was due tomorrow. It seems I blew up like a wood tick with my second child. It happens.

Anyway, they asked me to leave before I could explain about my cousins.

Jen's Farmily said...

ha! Irony lives on!!

I figured that while I've been jobless and had plenty of TIME to be on jury duty, it wouldn't happen... but as soon as I get a job, it'll pop up.

Irony.

JCK said...

Oh, I love that picture of your boy!

Congrats, on joining the population in jury duty. Just act crazy and babble. ;)

I am like Phd in yogurty. Have used the small children excuse for the last few years.

Hay said...

Start screaming guilty as you walk in the courtroom, you'll be home in no time.

sarahbean said...

oh you've totally got to do jury duty at least once.

i was really disappointed, we didn't get donuts. i'm sure deliberating juries are supposed to get donuts.

and i've heard that if they've found you not guilty, the jury will look at you as they come out, but if they've found you guilty, they all avert their eyes. So I looked at him, just to be tricky. lol

Susan said...

I was never called while I lived in Washington (6 years) but get called all the time in CA. Usually got out because of pregnancy or kids, now I want to sit on a jury and never get beyond the jury room. I am going next week - watch me get chosen for some lengthy trial now that I have said this!

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