[Nerak936]

Here it is, 1:30 PM, a mere 5 hours after I reported for jury duty, and I'm back home. No, I didn't go to work. To hell with that. If I lived farther away from the office, they wouldn't expect me to show up. I told bossman "see you Friday" and got no response, well.... maybe a grunt....., so I'm considering this afternoon to be payment for being a good citizen.

Showed up at courthouse at 8:20 for 8:30 appt. Spent 3 hours hanging out in the law library with 14 other people. No one spoke one word to each other. Watched a large (very) 25ish guy snooze throughout the "Jury Duty" tape they played for us (heaven forbid if HE ended up on a trial!). Other than a 10-minute break, it was 3 hours of trying to get my Swedish ass comfortable on those awful chairs. Read my book (which was interesting - thank you, David!). The Judge Of The Day spoke to us at one point. Said there were two cases, one which would be most likely be settled without a jury, and one that would need a jury once a necessary witness showed up. Nice guy. Nice black robe. Back to waiting and wondering when I'd regain some feeling in my butt (where do they get those chairs??)

At 11:30 we were taken to the courtroom where we were sworn in (assault and battery case) and the defendant and the witness saw us and we saw them. No one left. After that, it was a matter of holding my breath every time the clerk read a name for the empanelling (they needed 7 jurors for the trial out of the 15 standbys). I made it out!! Even after three original jurors were dismissed, I beat the odds and was in my car by 11:45.

Yeah, I feel a little guilty about not going to work afterwards...... but I'll try to get over it. I got gas, got my car washed, picked up some groceries, and hit the ATM for some weekend cash. See? I've been productive!!

There's a part of me that would've liked to have been seated for the trial. Would've been interesting.