May 21, 2013
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Jury Duty … Oh Joy!
Upon my return from vacation earlier this month I was greeted with a big stack of mail. I started to sort through the mail to immediately discard junk mail then work my way through the important mail. As I was going through the stack I see an envelope with the New York State seal image and thought “Oh shit, I flipping owe taxes …chit.” Then I read and see it is from the commissioner of jurors and thought “Aw chit, it’s worse than taxes … it’s jury duty.” I open the envelope and realize that not only is it a summons for jury duty, but my juror number is 40. SIGH!
I go on Monday and a group of us have to fill out a supplemental questionaire (uh-oh). So wait a little longer and those who filled out the supplemental get taken to a room where the lawyers are and the questioning begins. The first 6 people in the front row, then as they leave the clerk calls the names of the next batch of potential jurors. After the questioning of the batch the lawyers would leave the room and the clerk would come in, call names and ask them the step in to the hall, after which she swore in the remaining ones in as selected jurors. OK so I am figuring this is how it’s done. You get questioned, they step out and strike and those who are not chosen are asked to stand and leave the room to be dismissed.
OK, so I am in batch number three of potential jurors. We get questioned, the lawyers step out, strike and the clerk comes in and calls my name and the woman next to me. Wooohoooo … I am going to get to step out to the hall and be dismissed … wooohoo. NOT! Psyche!
The clerk asks us to raise our right hands and place our left hands on the bible and we get sworn in as seated jurors. WHAT? Wait a minute, that’s not how you did it before! Hahahahaha
The clerk THEN asks us to step in the hall and go to another room and they dismiss the remaining potential jurors. We were the last jurors selected. OK … I guess! LOL
