JURY DUTY EPILOGUE

Ken Berwitz

 Well, barring unforseen circumstances (unlikely, but still possible), I am finished with jury duty for three years.

 As noted in the previous blog, I showed up on time for jury duty this morning.  But the cashier in the cafeteria – that\’s right, the cashier in the cafeteria – told me they screwed up and I didn\’t have to be there – why don\’t I check with the people in the jury room.

 So I walked to the jury room…where I was told the cafeteria guy was right, and that things had happened too late to post online or message anyone, which effectively ended my stint as a juror.  

 Sure enough, about 10 minutes later, in a now-very-crowded jury assembly room, we were advised that every case we were called for had been resolved without the need for a jury.  So go home, but check online after 5:00PM to see if anything changed (highly unlikely).  If it didn\’t, seeya in three years.

 Before leaving, however, each of us had to have our juror card scanned.  Since I had the prescience to be sitting in the front…OK, dumb luck, since the front seats evidently are considered least desirable and, because I went into the jury room, those were the only ones left…I had mine scanned first.    

I strolled out of the courthouse, happy to have done my duty without doing any duty at all, and contemplating the fact that this is the same system which decides whether people should go to jail.

 Ok, back to politics, where, if things went the way they should, the courthouse I was in could not have been able to hold all the necessary jurors.

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 UPDATE:  I just checked online….and my jury duty, such as it was, is not complete.  

 Somehow, I doubt that the criminal justice system has benefited by my contribution….