Adventures In Jury Duty

The old courthouse clock tower from the top floor of the new courthouse. Last time I had to report over there.

I got a dreaded summons for jury duty from the Flagstaff Municipal Court. Dreaded because I had a feeling it was coming. It was about time. Last time I was down selected because I expressed the opinion that I wanted scientific proof that someone was impaired by alcohol rather than just taking the deputy's word for it. You get a five year exemption after each time.

When I reported it was such a small pool I was certain there would be a trial jury selected for the day and duration of a trial. And that wasn't good for me.

Of course, I was selected. They always want to select me because I have no excuses to get out of it. I have no children, I'm not nor have I ever been a policeman, and I'm educated (the questionnaire asks how many years of education and for me it is too many), etc. Also I have served on juries before and it's apparent that is preferred by the lawyers. Maybe I should commit a felony just so I can be excused?

I know you may ask why don't I see it as a civic duty and an honor? Because I have served on juries. It certainly is a civic duty because they can arrest you if you don't show up. But I'm too cynical about the process to consider it an "honor."

This jury was better than the previous juries I served on, which were full of randos who knew nothing of the law, and I include myself it that (there was one private practice lawyer selected this time). Many other countries do not use juries for this reason. In some cases, they use a panel of judges for serious crimes, which sounds like a better idea to me than a panel of average citizens.

I had to sit all day through the trial and then, after 4:00 pm, I was randomly selected to be the alternate and dismissed before deliberations. The bailiff called me in about an hour and told me the verdict and that I was free. Hurray!

It's the fourth time I've been called for jury duty and the third time I've been selected. That isn't helpful. They keep track of such things and it means the next time I'm called I will be that much more experienced and the lawyers will want me on the jury again. You get exempt when you turn 75. Argggh!

I'll most likely see the inside of the court building again in five years. My earlier joke aside, I hope to not be in there for any other reason between now and then.

One of the few benefits, an unusual view of what is probably Flagstaff's most interesting building: Nativity Of The Blessed Virgin Mary Chapel, also known as just the pink church.