After being summoned for jury duty about ten times over the years and not getting any further than jury selection, I finally got the chance to fulfill my civic obligation and completed six days of Jury Duty in United States District Court. I have compiled some observations that will let you know what to expect if you are summoned. Be aware that my experience was with Federal Court, which I understand treats jurors much better than State Court.
When I first entered the court building, I was required to show a current ID and remove my belt. Spare change, my wallet, watch and any other metal objects were placed in a tray along with my jacket and sent through the metal detector. I walked through another metal detector and was given my belongings on the other side. I then had to walk about thirty feet while holding up my pants to an area where I reassembled myself. I understand that this search is a necessity, but the possibility of losing my pants in the lobby of the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse weighed heavily on my mind. After arriving in the court room, the two lawyers asked many odd questions, like what kind of bumper sticker is on you car. I wondered what type of bumper sticker might get me kicked off of jury duty, but came up with nothing. The lawyers ultimately pared twenty four prospective jurors down to eight. I asked the case manager why there were only eight jurors, and not twelve like in the classic Henry Fonda film “12 Angry Men” She politely replied that she had never seen the film, but there were eight jurors on this case. How do you work for the court system and not see “12 Angry Men?” The film should be de rigueur for all court employees. Nevertheless, six angry men and two angry women ended up in the jury box. I channel my inner Henry Fonda and prepared to hear the case. The testimonies were long, boring and repetitious. Did I mention that the testimonies were repetitious? And boring? And long? We were given legal pads and encouraged to take notes. I chose not to, but after hearing a few hours of testimony the woman seated in front of me decided to draw pictures of unicorns, fairies and rainbows. The man to my right opted for stick figures with devil horns burning in the flames of Hell. The jury room was stocked with all kinds of gastric goodies, and they were all free! Every day there is a different treat to eat. On Tuesday there were bagels and schmear, Wednesday was donut day and Thursday there was a fruit and veggie plate. Coffee, soda and bottled water were also available. On deliberation day they sprang for lunch. I had a corned beef and Swiss on a Kaiser roll and a chocolate chip cookie. Yummy! As good as the food was, the reading material left a lot to be desired. The magazines are at least five years old. I read articles in US Weekly about Chris Jenner sticking by her husband’s side, Robin Williams hoping that his new TV show is a hit and Who Wore It Best, Whitney Houston or Paris Hilton? On the sixth day we were given lunch menus upon our arrival to the jury room, where we placed our orders. We then entered the court room and heard closing arguments by both lawyers. The judge then gave us our instructions and we were off to the jury room to make our decision. It only took us twenty minutes to reach a verdict. The time was 11:25 AM. We held off turning in our verdict until after our free lunch arrived at noon. After our delicious lunch we returned to the courtroom to deliver our verdict. The plaintiff was suing for a million and a half dollars, but was awarded nothing. The jurors received a big forty bucks a day for their services, a certificate with a faux gold seal on it and a warning that although we performed our civic duty in federal court, we could be called at any time to serve in civil court. So like Henry Fonda at the conclusion of “12 Angry Men” I left the courthouse, descended the massive granite staircase and disappeared into the rainy afternoon with a smile on my face, feeling proud that I finally got the chance to perform my civic duty.
1 Comment
Jeff Ferreri
6/19/2017 12:25:44 pm
I was never picked until a city zoning case in the late 1980's where a Vetrinarian was operating an illegal animal clinic from his basement instead of his mobile van.
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