I Have Stories

AKA: The Misery Seat

Here’s how it starts:

You get a summons in the mail to report to ____ Court for Jury Duty – noting date and when to call the day before

The day before call (after 3 pm) to find out if you need to show up at 8am or not

The only one really tense about it is your boss,, who prays you won’t have to go (# free day off).

You call and have to go- Boss reminds you … no pay if no Court letter saying you served.

You show up- and along w 25 or 30 other people- sit and watch a movie about being a responsible juror

Judge comes in a describes the case…. I don’t like it..

It is a MVA with a jail sentence for a third DUI offense and causing an accident, for one driver if found guilty. Or 1st DUI for other driver and judgement against her as cause of accident. The judge assigns us each a number,,, ( for anonymity)

The judge asks us to come up if we have a reason to be excused. I can’t think of one- accept that I am uncomfortable.

Several people get dismissed:

1- A woman wearing a tee-shirt with a beer bottle on it.

2- An older man who appears to be wearing an enormous diaper under his jeans

3- Two young women who were crying

4- A man who reeked of stale tobacco and…. (He was escorted out)

There were others… time went by and 2 lawyers were looking through the information on our jury cards.

The judge stood up and and dismissed almost everyone ,,,there were 15 of us left.

Another look at cards by lawyers and each one selected 6 and then judge called 13 numbers who were told to sit in Jury box. I was one of them… The 2 lucky ones left.

The judge gave us notepaper and pens and then stated that Juror 4 ( of course a middle aged man in a suit ) was to be the Foreman.. Then she announced my number and said I would be the Alternate. I was to listen to entire trial and then not go into the jury room unless another juror could not serve.

I was relieved.. I did not want to decide. It felt right…..

And then it didn’t.

We went to lunch and it was weird- 1 hour – not knowing where to go in a new city.. and trying to avoid the other jurors. I did not want to be friends with anyone..

We returned and I sat outside of jury box.

The evidence was submitted while the defendant sat there- letting his attorney speak for him. The driver of the other vehicle testified. It was fast and confusing. I took notes and noticed that some of the 12 just sat there. How could they decide without notes?

The case continued – for about 2 hours. The other driver was also accused of DUI,,, but her 1st offense. Her attorney was trying to prove that the defendant caused the accident.

It was technical ( blood alcohol levels, police testimony)

Very dry… then each attorney summarized their case.

I had an opinion about the blood alcohol levels and a gut feeling about the way things would go.

After instructions- the 12 jurors went into the room to deliberate and the courtroom was emptied. I sat outside the closed door of the jury room and tried to decide what my verdict would be.

Being a nurse is hard,,,, you know things about people and how they tell a story and how they act when drinking. And when you hear police testimony – you expect it to be professional and thorough .. until it wasn’t.

I sat there alone for almost an hour- then the jury came out.

The judge called in the attorneys and accused and asked the Foreman about the the process of deliberations and whether or not there was a verdict. He stood up and looked very assured that the group had done everything right and explored all the possibilities.

The judge asked for the verdict.. The man was found guilty of his 3rd DUI and causing the accident. Each juror was polled and agreed to the verdict.

Without another word- jury was dismissed.

I just sat there until they left and followed them out. They were talking and went to their cars and drove off… like it was an ordinary day.

I sat in my car and cried. I was frustrated, angry and sorry for the man found guilty. The rest of his life was decided in less than an hour.

Did anyone look at case subjectively…. or did they just want to get out of there?

Never did I feel so helpless. Maybe if I had been there .. I would have heard their justification and felt better.

But not on this day..

And even thinking about it now makes me cry.