Jury Doody: Day 3

I was hoping to be able to blog, “Day 3 of jury duty was blissfully uneventful,” but I can’t really claim that. 

While it certainly wasn’t as eventful as yesterday’s sheriff escort, day 3 began in a way that seemed like it may rival day 2.  After showing up to the holding cell (on time and dressed more “conservatively”) and having a seat, the fire alarm begins to ring.  The deputy sheriff gets up and runs out the door, saying, “Y’all come on!”

But the bell stops as abruptly as it began and the 80-something jurors in the room just stay put.  After the deputy sheriff returns, we settle in and wait to be called upon.

Most of us are called pretty quickly to return to the fourth floor, myself included.  Sigh.  I have to face the same judge as yesterday.  Today’s process went much more quickly than yesterday’s, and by 10:55 the counsel is ready to choose the jury.   The judge announces a recess. 

 “Now I’m going to make myself very clear,” he says, and I inwardly groan because I know what’s coming.  “The counsel usually gets 15 minutes.Yesterday we had some confusion about what time to return, so I’m going to make this very easy and give the counsel 20 minutes.  Everyone in the jury is to return at 11:15.  We had some people come back late yesterday, and I don’t want to send the sheriff after you, but I do what I have to do to protect all of our time. Please be back in the courtroom at 11:15.”

I return, as commanded, at 11:15 and was thus selected to serve as an alternate juror. This meant I was charged with the lovely task of listening to the entire trial (which wasn’t much, only one witness and honestly not much effort on the part of the assistant district attorney) and sitting out in the hallway while the other 12 jurors made the decision.

Thankfully they didn’t deliberate long and it gave me a chance to get a little further in the book I’m supposed to have read by tomorrow for a book club meeting.  Which, coincidently, we’re reading Confederacy of the Dunces.  What an appropriate read for a week spent sitting around, hurrying up to be on time to wait for our legal system.  (Not to mention how big of a dunce I felt myself yesterday.)

Anywho, with jury duty finally behind me and my pocket a whole $75 heavier (the judge advised us not to spend it all in one place), I’m ready to face the rest of my week.  Trying to finish as much of the book as I can for the meeting that snuck up on me, getting our air conditioner fixed, and trying to get a yard sale organized for Saturday. 

This yard sale has turned into a neighborhood yard sale, with little things coming from a variety of families and homes around the third ward district.  I think there are at least 6 different people/families contributing.  There will be large furniture (two upholstered chairs, bed frames, end tables, coffee tables, etc) large kitchen appliances (dishwasher, stove, and I think two washer and dryer sets) as well as small kitchen appliances and gear, dishes, books, lamps and name-brand clothing, and jewelry.

Of course, everyone wants to get paid for their respective items included in this yard sale, so I’ll have to spend my Saturday making sure every last sale gets recorded so that I can get the right people the right amount of money.  Who knows, the day may end with me longing to be sitting around the courthouse waiting for more jury doody…………..Nah.