[Gatorade]

Last time I was summoned was to civil court years ago. Our pool got called to hear a case early, something along the lines of a commercial dispute, we were in the court to begin the selection process when the bailiff rushes in to the judge. Both attorneys leave, there is lots of whispering and back and forth and after about 15 minutes the judge, bailiff and attorneys come back in and let us know they won't need our service today. Apparently the defendant had a heart attack just outside the court room. Needless to say they were not going to court that day. Too early to send us home so back to the pool we went.


Then our pool gets called again but this time we are told the criminal court is short on pools and since group had already been called they were transferring us to criminal court for a case there.


Lots of joking about what people would do to get out of going to court, comments about what looked like the blonde gold digging plaintiff and such. Then we got our second questionnaire of the day and were told this was for a murder trial. You could have heard a pin drop. Went in and it was something out of central casting but was actually real. Young black guy with a Malcom X T-shirt and an old haggard defense attorney, prosecutor looked in her late 20's but not clean an polished like on TV, worn briefcase and scuffed shoes, hair brushed but not styled. Real attorneys, real crimes and real death. I didn't hear much beyond the initial statement about a murder in a bad part of town and attorneys asking if we had reasons to be prejudiced against a fair trial. I answered no prejudices at all, I would listen to the evidence and decide if it was enough. The prosecution had no issues with me. The defense asked about the part on the questionnaire where I said my sister was an Assistant State Attorney working in another county. I answered yes. They said I was dismissed. I think they didn't believe that I could be impartial. Sadly I know I would have been. Never found out about much about the crime or the trial.

Only other time I was called in I got there but was never pulled for a jury, left at 3pm and haven't been called since.

I feel very strongly about the right to trial by jury and would not shy away or try to get out of it even though it would cause turmoil in my daily routine with my special needs daughter and my other kids. Somethings need to be done for the greater good of society.