Jury Duty

I was called for jury duty yesterday and ended up being in a large pool of potential jurors for a first degree murder case! The judge said it was scheduled to last about 6 weeks. I finally spoke to the judge, in front of the lawyers and the two defendants, about my job as a teacher and my responsibilities at work, asking to be released. The judge agreed as did both sides.

It was a very interesting two days and I am glad I got the opportunity to be a part of the judicial system. There were so many things I learned and experienced. There were hundreds of people waiting in the jury main room and about 135 potential jurors for this particular case. I was amazed to see so many responsible and friendly people. It was encouraging to be around honest, hardworking Americans that just want to do their part in serving in a civic duty.

A little regret is how I feel after asking to be released, but I would drive downtown again to serve as a potential juror in a heartbeat. Maybe next time I will be selected and be a part of making a decision in the judicial system.

I took some candid photos with my cellphone, being careful not to be noticed.

Check out the rest of the photos.