Truthfully I did not want to go. I guess not knowing what would be in the cards as far as how long a trial could last was what bothered me most.
Arrival time was 9am. As I never want to be late, I got there at 8:20am. Upon entering the building, you have to go through security. Your belt and watches need to be removed. I did fine as I had on my FitBit for my watch. The door to the jury room opened at 9. I watched as people waltzed in later, up until 10:40. I was surprised that some didn't mind being late.
We were spoken to by a very nice gentleman, explaining what goes on in this particular room. This was the time to find out which people would most likely be excused. You are sent to another building to officially be excused if your reason is acceptable. If you come with a translator, if you are not an American citizen, if you have a difficulty understanding English...those are some reasons to be excused.
There seems to be very little leeway in being excused these days. If you have your own business and need to work, it just does not matter.
We then filled out forms and watched a video. Now the waiting starts. You sit and sit and sit, almost everyone on their phone or computer. Finding an electrical outlet is a challenge since there are very few in this huge room with over 150 people in it. They offer free wifi so that helped since you can use a great deal of data otherwise.
Sitting with your computer is an incentive to eating, and that bag of gluten free pretzels I brought with me was dwindling.
You are given breaks for 15 minutes at a time and you have to sign in and out. You can't really go anywhere, just outside the room so you can make calls since your phone has to be on vibrate inside the room.
All of a sudden, at 11:55pm there is an announcement and a police officer enters. The nice gentleman starts calling names. Those called line up outside and are told by the officer to go to a specific room, which is a courtroom.
I didn't get called so continued to sit. At 12:30 we are told we can go to lunch and to return at 2:15.
Thanks to the wonderful restaurant review website, The Infatuation, I was able to get a list of restaurants from their posting:
https://www.theinfatuation.com/features/the-infatuation-guide-to-jury-duty-lunch.
Found the Vietnamese restaurant. Long lines. I was asked if I wanted to share a table and declined, but in a few moments I was seated at a small table for 2, alone. Loved the food and was looking forward to going back the next day if I was still there.
After lunch, I returned to my seat only to sit and wait again. Finally at 4:30 we are told we can leave and return the next day at 10am.
I arrive early to attempt secure a seat near an electrical outlet and succeed! A phone or computer battery charge only lasts so long. Since I was there early, I went over to the clerk and asked him how someone who becomes an American citizen could not speak English? I really thought you had to know the language to pass the test you are given to become a citizen. The clerk didn't know what the test consisted of so couldn't actually answer my question.
Hardly anyone is here at 10am, including the gentleman at the desk. At 10:10 attendance is taken and so many have not responded to their names being called. The gentleman tells us that if someone comes in late and sits near us, to tell them to go to the front to check in.
Lunch again at the Vietnamese restaurant. I am greeted nicely since they somehow remember me and I get my own table.
Back in the jury room. All antsy. The woman behind me keeps saying that it is getting late and we will all be able to go home. At 4:10 guess what? An officer enters the room and now I know what comes next. My name does get called. We are escorted to the courtroom only to wait outside. I see someone from the first group of names which were called earlier. She says that she has to come back tomorrow at 9:45 in case they don't get enough jurors selected. We enter the courtroom only to be told that it is late and we are to return the next day at 11am.
Here I go again, arriving early, around 10:20 to find the person I spoke with yesterday sitting on the bench. She was to be there at 9:45 remember? Her group gets called to line up at 10:45. Eventually some people are walking out. My group gets called at 11:15 or so and we enter the courtroom. We are sworn in and then the judge, lawyers and the defendant get introduced.
The judge gives us the essence of the case.
We are asked if we had been a victim of a crime and I was very surprised to see how many of the 30 of us had experienced a robbery, mugging or stabbing. Then the judge asks if anyone or anyone's family member or friend had anything happen to them related to drugs. By the time people finished speaking, according to my Fitbit HR Charge, my blood pressure went up 10 points!
The bottom line: can you, as a juror, even with past experiences, be of the mindset that the defendant is "innocent until proven guilty?"
And that is how the judge and lawyers figure out who can serve on the jury.
