Kinda Sorta Live Blogging My Jury Duty Pt. 4

So we finished our talk from the judge and the video of what is supposed to happen if we get seated. Or is it empaneled. I’m not sure what the difference is. Meanwhile my awesome seat I acquired sucks, since I am under the air conditioning (in January??) and my hands are freezing. Meanwhile out the window I see a lot of lawyery-looking people hustling in, and a lot of defendanty-looking people looking agitated, accompanied by a lot of worried mothery-looking people. Apparently there are three courts in this building, the Juvenile, the Municipal and the Housing courts.

We have until 10 to goof off then at some point in the next three hours, apparently someone may come down and get us. Or we might just sit here. I’m fine with the waiting. There’s no wifi still, but I got my desktop cleared off nicely*, so I’m all set not going anywhere near a courtroom, nosiree, no how. I have had jury duty three times in the last four years. They say that if you get called, and you have proof of serving within the previous three years you don’t have to come back again. But when I got called in ‘07 and I said I had been in already in ‘05, they told me they reserve the right to call people in before their time is up and I had to show. I didn’t even try to postpone this one because of that. But the court officer who gave the talk about what we should expect just said I should have sent my deferment in. I don’t even know where my ‘07 proof is because I didn’t think they’d take it seriously. They seem to make the rules up as they go. The last two times I served I was just begging to be placed on a jury. I was excited for it. But now that my hubby has to be at work at 6 am, and my son has to be at school at 8 am, being empaneled would mean my husband would have to actually miss work just to get the boy to school. And I guess they can’t go in late in his job, so now if I get placed it would mean a possible job loss for my husband. I know an employer can’t legally fire a person on a jury, but in this case my husband isn’t protected the same way. So what do you bet I get on a trial?

*And in an emergency I have the first six episodes of Lost Season 4 with me.