| No one escapes. Eventually, we're all summoned for | | | | myself for the ride. The morning came to report to |
| Jury Duty. There is no longer any way out, so you | | | | grand jury in the very small Central New York town. |
| might as well know what to expect. | | | | Forty five other people and myself showed up, |
| Back in the day, it was possible to get around it by | | | | taking time away from out personal lives and work |
| being the main care giver of underage children, or by | | | | to be there. Some how, when I took my seat, I had |
| being the sole owner of a small business. At this point | | | | arranged myself amongst a small group of ladies who |
| in life, I must admit that I did make use of those | | | | were all neighbors. One very young woman had |
| exemptions. It really is our civic duty to contribute in | | | | needed to wait for her mother to get to her house |
| the matter. | | | | to babysit two small children. An older lady had left |
| I was always afraid that it was going to be a life and | | | | her handicapped husband alone, but carried her cell |
| death situation. That some innocent person would | | | | phone, even though it had to be turned off. Another |
| spend their life in jail because of me...that small | | | | woman had been an American citizen for only a year, |
| children would go fatherless, and it was my fault... | | | | but had only minimal trouble with her English. I'm sure |
| The list goes on. | | | | I wasn't the only person there who had cost their |
| Now the whole thing has been revealed to me in a | | | | work some money. |
| different light. What if the child molester, or murderer | | | | We all sat and waited for thirty minutes. That equals |
| goes free to commit the same crime again? That | | | | 24 man hours donated, not to mention the time to |
| could be my fault too. | | | | drive there. The judge paced back and forth, going |
| The fact of the matter is, that you are not going to | | | | into his office. He came out with an apology, that the |
| change someone's life for the worse. If they are a | | | | court tried at all times to avoid this situation. The |
| child molester or bank robber, or whatever, that | | | | person on trial had demanded a trial by his peers for |
| person chose that road to take long before your | | | | two misdemeanors that he had at the last minute |
| name got pulled out of the hat for jury duty. | | | | accepted a plea bargain for. We were all dismissed.. I |
| Last year, I was working at my job with a lady who | | | | was shocked! All of those people pulled out of their |
| had been summoned for the jury duty. The rest of | | | | daily lives for what? Since it was over, and I had not |
| my coworkers and I all agreed that we wouldn't | | | | been sworn to secrecy anyway, I could talk about it, |
| want to be in her shoes. However, our sympathy | | | | right? Boy did I! |
| was with the lady who was doing it. She was only a | | | | That night I called the lady who had been my |
| year from retirement at the time. A very nervous, | | | | supervisor at the time when my former co-worker |
| excitable, and talkative lady. There were times when | | | | had done the jury duty thing. She and I are friends, |
| she made me a little crazy with her constant talking, | | | | and can speak openly. I ranted on, telling her the |
| but I still love the doll! But she never said a word | | | | whole story. I asked her how some fool who had |
| about it until the verdict was reached. I give her a lot | | | | probably committed two misdemeanors could be |
| of credit for that, but it must have killed her. | | | | such a pain in the a ? She thought it was probably |
| About a month ago, I received the summons for | | | | her grandson. Whoops. Oh well, I can only finish up |
| jury duty. I got the nervous and jerkies about it, but | | | | by saying don't be afraid to do it. What ever you |
| I knew the time had come. If she could do it, so | | | | expect when your called for jury duty, it probably |
| could I! I was going to ride that bull for eight seconds! | | | | isn't going to be what you anticipated. All you can do, |
| So I told my boss what was going on, and steeled | | | | is hope for the best! |