I got derailed yesterday because of Jodi so I will finish this jury selection post quick because I’m tired of the whole deal. We were ushered into the jury assembly room where almost 300 people looked for places to sit and I hate feeling crowded so I tried to leave a seat on either side of me, but they got taken very quickly and I felt like I was smothering. We were shown a film on the process and the court clerk talked to us and then a judge there were two guards at all times to keep the masses under control, but they were actually nice little old ladies.
They started pulling panels right away and I was on the first one so it broke the monotony they make you feel like you’re in first grade and take attendance and then when they call you for the panel they line you up like little kids and it’s very precise and you must be in the order you’re called so the diagram lines up for the lawyers so when they pick their jury they already how you think because of the questionnaire that you filled out beforehand.
You’re ushered into the court room and you must be seated in the right order so you can be ogled and judged if you will make a sympathetic juror for their side. You must stand and take an oath as a group then you’re addressed by the judge and then both lawyers ask the panel questions, if you answer a question you must state your juror number first and speak loudly so everything can be in the transcripts, they then make their selection back and forth between lawyers then they call their picks for the jury.
Everyone must then go back to the jury assembly room to wait to be called for another panel apparently some of the cases were over before they got started because the criminal cases were basically open and shut and many of the people that had been picked for the jury were back within a few hours to be thrown back into the jury pool. Ignorant me thought if you were pulled for a panel or sat on a jury you would then be released, but in fact you have to stay for the week and be used over and over.
Some people were selected for several different cases. I think they should pick 84 people from all those called and release everyone else because it seemed like they just kept calling the same ones anyhow for all the cases and the others were just wasting their time. At the end of the 3rd day I had enough and my nerves were shot so I talked to one of the clerks and explained about my Shadow and how he needed me to take care of him so they were nice and dismissed me.
I couldn’t take another day I was ready to rip my hair out, I had managed to remove myself from the rowdy crowd of women that were having a blast on the second day and move all the way across the room by the window and seclude myself. I would have made a lousy juror anyhow. They pay 9 dollars a day and if you’re there on the 4th and 5th day it goes up to 25 dollars and 35 cents per mile traveled back and forth.
Only 3 people at a time can take a 10 minute break, 1 in the morning and 1 in the afternoon and you have to use a hall pass, I did notice that several people took more breaks and some even longer than the 10 minutes and an hour for lunch. Everyone had formed their little groups and they all acted like they had assigned seats and were suppose to sit in the same place day after day, it was so weird. I realized that I am definitely not a people person any more and the strain of those 3 days really took a toll. Definitely the end!!
I hate when I feel like my time has been wasted and the first 3 days of this week were 3 of the most wasted tiring days I have spent in a very long time. I certainly didn’t feel like messing with the computer after getting home at 5 o’clock and I wasn’t suppose to talk about jury duty service till it was done, for me it was a horrible mess although I noticed that many people had looked forward to actually having the experience of sitting on a trial and hearing the cases and deliberating. Have you ever been summoned for jury duty?
In 56 years of being alive I have never been summoned to report for jury duty so I had no clue what to fully expect, I was a nervous wreck and I now realize that I should have written them a letter explaining my circumstances. You have 10 days to reply to a summons if you have a valid reason for not being able to attend and do your “duty”. Some people consider it an honor to sit on a jury, but I do not. I do not want to be responsible for other people’s punishment or to decide if they are innocent or guilty.
They send you a questionnaire to fill out before you go and it’s like an interrogation, they want your life history and how you feel about being able to follow the judges instructions after you hear a case and if I had known about jury nullification at the time I would have listed that I was in favor of it. If you don’t know what that is which I didn’t because it wasn’t something that ever concerned me before then I would suggest you do a little research so you’ll know what rights you have as a juror.
The Free Library-Jury nullification you might find that of interest just encase you are ever called basically when you think a punishment doesn’t fit a crime you have the power to veto and disregard the judges instructions and find that defendant not guilty even though there is evidence stating otherwise. There are many other sources that you can read from just do a search. At least now they can’t call me for another 3 years and I’m sure I will come up with some valid reason for getting out of it next time.
Tomorrow I’ll tell you some more I have to go right now because Bill just came home from work and they have taken his daughter by ambulance to the hospital.
Sundays’ Entrecard Post
I really appreciate the comments and everyone’s view points thanks so much for sharing them with me on the changes with Entrecard. I’m glad I tried out the new ad system because I certainly didn’t have time on Monday to do my regular drops or post and that certainly helped with traffic, I was surprised. Of course since I’m poor it certainly wont be a regular thing, it would be different if I was selling something. I hope the new system will eventually settle down and everyone will be happy again, I’m sure it will take some time though to sort it all out.
Taxes Are Done Finally
I had a horrible Monday only because it took me the whole day to figure out how to file my taxes and fill out all the forms, but at least I did get it accomplished so tomorrow they go in the mail. At least next year if I need to file a 1099 misc I’ll know how and I didn’t have to spend 200 bucks for H&R or buy a 100 dollar tax program for businesses. If I made lots of money that would be fine, but if you only make a couple 1,000 in a year it seems pointless. I’m sure they’ll let me know if I didn’t send them enough money. The mailman helped to make my Monday even worse.
Jury Duty
Guess who got a stupid questionnaire in the mail to fill out for jury duty? I don’t want to pull jury duty so I’m hoping they wont find me suitable. I have to go the beginning of May and I dread the thought of being put in the position to judge someones guilt or innocence. I hope it’s a case where I know the person so I can be dismissed. Not that I want someone I know to be the perpetrator or victim of a crime of course. Last year Bill was called, but since he has asthma his doctor wrote him a note an he was excused, some illnesses come in handy.
