Earlier this month I received a summons to report for jury duty. Today was the day I was to report. I have never served on a jury, so this was all a very new experience for me. I checked in and sat among all the other poor souls who had also been summoned. I kept thinking; "hey, these are my peers!" The much younger lady next to me was lamenting all the work she was missing. She kept thinking that a possible suit she had within the past 2 years would exempt her. However, the young woman next to her tried to be exemted because she was the defendant in an assault suit. She went up and spoke with the lady in charge and came back and waited for our assigned court. She actually was assigned to a court within the first two courts. It was on the seventh court that I was chosen. I, along with 40 other jurors, were chosen to report back on Monday. We were the first group that was required to fill out a questionaire that the attorneys were to review during the weekend. I have no idea whether or not the case for which I was chosen is civil or criminal. If I have to serve, I am thinking that a civil case will be over much sooner, but a criminal case might be more interesting. I will listen to the instructions of the judge on Monday. If it does not violate his intructions I will report here the events of monday.
Posted by Rita at March 19, 2004 08:34 PMSpeaking as someone who has watched a jury being selected with a very personal angle on the ultimate outcome, you may find that a criminal case is more interesting for you but not so much for whomever the victim is.
Posted by: Elizabeth at March 19, 2004 10:31 PMLast year, I served on a civil case having to do with the Americans with Disabilities Act - we were in session from Monday to mid-day on Friday. It was interesting.
Posted by: Leah at March 23, 2004 03:30 PM