Called for Jury Duty

Did you ever notice when someone is telling you they have been called for jury duty they say it in a whiney voice, like it's going to be a dismal experience? I was that way up until yesterday, but then I decided to change my thinking on the entire experience. I had started thing about something my dada had told me many years ago. My dad was the Chief Deputy Clerk back in Indiana where I grew up. He said to me "Serving on Jury Duty is a meaningful as voting. When you vote you can change a nation and the world, but on jury duty you have a direct effect on a person and your local community. Both duties are as powerful as each other in there own way."

With that in mind rather than thinking about what I could be doing if I did not have to serve, I changed my thinking to having an open mind and experiencing each moment of the experience.

I then made sure to leave early as the documents from the court suggested. This turned out to be a good thing because many people arriving later said that they could not find parking. After parking I read through the papers provided by the court and then just before 8:30 AM walked to the Hall of Justice in Redwood City. There was a line waiting to enter the jury assembly room so I took my place and began talking with a lady from South San Francisco. She seemed a little agitated because she had to take a day off of work. We chatted until the door opened and then we took seat in the jury assembly room.

Kathy was the lady in charge of organizing all the jury groups and did so in a very orderly fashion. I must say she had the patience of a saint. At 8:30 AM she started explaining why we were here and what additional paper work was needed. She answered all questions professionally and was precise in the answers. She also injected some humor in her demonstration, which took the tension out of the room. She told us that today was going to be busier than normal. Usually there are about 100-150 jurors called, but today they had called 255 and it was going to be a very busy day. She said she would be randomly calling our names out for each of the groups and instructing each group as to which court room and judge we needed to report too. At this point several people had arrived late because of the parking issue and there was a delay as Kathy took them aside and began the instructions again. I continued to chat with the lady I met in line and several other people in the area where we were sitting. I noticed that the "whiney" attitude had changed to excitement about the coming days events. A few people were still looking for excuses to be sent home, but the majority was not.

Finally the first group of 60 names was called and they left the room for their assignment. I was called for the 2nd group of 75, but we were told not to leave yet because the judge was not ready for us. Kathy said it they would be ready in about 5 minutes. She said to line up outside the room and wait until she gave the go ahead. When we were outside the 1st group called people from the 1st group started to return to the assembly room. I asked a guy why they were coming back and he said "The case was continued." Kathy told all of then that they did not need to return to the assembly room because this was considered completed. They were done for the day.

We got the go ahead and left for our courtroom on the 2nd floor. We gathered out in the hallway and were met by a police officer in charge of the courtroom. She recited the rules for entering the room. All cell phones were to be turned off, no chewing gum, reading papers, reading books, or talking. She said that our number one responsibility was to pay attention to what was being said in the courtroom.

When we entered there were seven people already in the room other than the lady officer giving directions. There were two lawyers, the defendant, the court reporter, the bailiff and two witnesses, one police officer and the other a lady in the area where we were sitting. There was another delay and I began talking with a fellow next to me. He said to me "This is something I have never seen or experienced. I am form Chile and have been in the USA for about a year." I could see on his face he was taking it all in and I explained what was going on and who each of the people were. His name was Alex and we continued to chat.

Then all of a sudden both lawyers and the defendant got up and moved towards the back of the courtroom through a door, which I assumed was the judges chamber and the officer in change verified this a few minutes later. I told Alex that I think there might be some additional negotiations going on and when the court reported was called to the judge’s chamber, Alex asked why. I told him that all the documentation for any legal conversation during a trail is recorded by the reporter on a short-hand machine. After the trial the reporter then transcribes the shorthand notes in to legal documents for the file. I said the fact that she was called in may indicate that a conclusion to this case may come soon.

About 15 minutes later the lawyers reappeared and picked up their papers and left with both witnesses. The defendant was nowhere to be seen. The bailiff then said "All Rise" and we stood up and the judge came in. He told us that the defendant pleaded "No contest" and that this case is over. He said that he appreciated the fact that we all showed up to serve and that we could now leave because our duty was completed. I noticed that he spoke with sincerity and his words seemed very powerful.

As we left I said good bye to Alex and he retuned a smile that gave me a peaceful feeling and also said good bye.

In closing I found this day to be enlightening. I now knew what my dad was talking about and even more enlightening was the fact that a person has the choice to change his or her thinking for every situation. I think that if I would have stayed with the “whiney” attitude I would have had a “nothing” experience.

“Thanks Dad!”