Making a Federal case out of jury duty

NHLife — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 17:26:00 GMT

I'm going to write for a few minutes because it's quiet here. That doesn't happen very often so I might as well take advantage of it. I got a call the other day from a lifelong friend. She called to inform me that she had been serving several weeks of jury duty and apologized for not returning phone calls. This was't just any ol' jury duty. We are talking about a Federal case here. Maybe you can guess which one.

I know I probably sound a little crazy but I've always wanted to serve on a jury. But have I ever gotten that message in my mailbox? Have I ever been picked? No. I have sat in the galley during district court cases. That's an experience I recommend to anyone who wants to understand due process.

I don't think my friend was calling to gloat. She had no way to know that I might have enjoyed a jury duty-like experience. It's not like I worked at a law firm for a major part of my life (which might automatically disqualify me anyway). She was calling to explain what a disruption the entire thing was on her life and routine. She's a single mom with two girls. I can only imagine the shuffling she had to manage to enable her to stay late deliberating.

It's funny how they always seem to pick the people that are least available for jury duty. Those of us who are eager, we never get picked. Aha, maybe that's the problem, does being too eager send off alarm bells somewhere?

Still, knowing my friend, she'll look back on it as a great experience in her life, even if it was inconvenient. And maybe someday I'll have my turn. No doubt it will be at a time when I'm least available and/or it's most inconvenient.

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Making a Federal case out of jury duty