A Long December and Belated Happy New Year

On December first I reported for jury duty.  Unlike other times I have been called they were selecting a jury that day and I had to appear in court.  Those of us who did not have a legitimate excuse to be dismissed were directed to another room where we filled out questionnaires and were instructed to return the following week, on December 7th,  for the jury selection process.   With a pool of 100 potential jurors that process took two full days and in the end I was one of the twelve original jurors.  Two alternates were also chosen. We were given the tentative schedule for the trial which was expected to last until January 7th. 

That weekend I felt I was coming down with a cold, but not severe enough to keep me at home.  We were back in court Wednesday through Friday (Dec 15-17) hearing the opening arguments and the first witnesses.  The following week we were  scheduled for three days, but released after two.  There was a break between Christmas and the New Year, so no court that week.  I was still suffering a bit from the cold, but with lots of rest and medication I was able to maintain.  

We were back in court on Tuesday, January 4th (there is no court on Monday's) and I had developed a cough that could shake the rafters.  That week one of our alternates called in sick and was dismissed from serving.  We spent four days that week listening to further testimony and the the closing arguments.  In the meantime another juror who had been unemployed for 18 months was hired to start a new job, thinking we would be done by Friday she was able to postpone starting until Monday the 10th.  As the time wore on it became obvious the case wouldn't be concluded until the following week, so on Friday she was also dismissed from serving.  We were now down to the minimum number of jurors and no matter how bad I felt I wasn't going to stay away. 

On Monday January 10th we were read the laws and instruction regarding the case and after lunch began deliberations.  By Wednesday morning we had come to conclusions on all fourteen counts plus findings on several of the counts.  It was a long and tedious process, there was a lot of repetition in the courtroom; numerous breaks; and a lot of waiting in the jury room during the trial.  Deliberation was intense and stressful, but all in all I found it an interesting process; I was exposed to a lot that I had never had to face before; and was surprised at how intriguing I found it.  (Mike is the one who loves all the lawyer type TV shows, I usually manage to avoid them.)  

We found the defendant guilty of the major charges and in discussing the trial with the lawyers and detectives afterward we found out that he was guilty of much more than we ever imagined; a lot of things couldn't be introduced into evidence.  We were assured that, based on his case and his past, he will never be out of prison again. 

I was pleased to learn that jurors have a pretty easy schedule; two to four days a week, hours are 9AM-4PM (generally) and like I said before lots of breaks including an hour and a half for lunch each day.  It does stretch out the number of days we have to serve, but does reduce the chances of burnout.   

I am still coughing a bit but well on the road to recovery.  Oh, and during the time I was on jury duty  there were two major holidays and on four different occasions we had house guests, ranging from one to four guests and from one to three nights.  All in all the last six weeks have been a bit of a blur.  ( Writing this out has helped.)

If anyone is interested here is a link to the case:  People vs Anselmi.  The article just begins to touch on the full story but at least will give you an idea.

And by the way, Happy New Year; a bit late, but just as sincere!!