A Little Bit of History-One Jury Summons at A Time

I've basically lived in Dekalb County my whole life, other than the years I was in college. Even when I lived in the City of Atlanta I fell under Dekalb County jurisdiction (for some things) including the dreaded and horrible jury duty.

It's my estimate in the 20 years I've lived as a tax payer in Dekalb I've been called to jury duty at least 8 times. Three of those in the last 5 years. I'm SO OVER going to jury duty. My husband does not get called every 18 months. Neither do my friends. Nor my other relatives. I feel like somehow I'm paying for my past sins in jury duty dates. 

I recall at least once when I was in college coming home and sitting in the old Dekalb County jury room and reading a book. I think I was asked to leave--slightly bummed I didn't get on a jury. 

When I moved back to Atlanta in April of 1996 I got called immediately. Honestly, the summons must have come before I left Athens. I know I'd just returned because I moved home for a couple weeks when I started my job at the Department of Juvenile Justice. My father died about a week after I started. I recall having to call the jury office and telling them I had to go to a funeral. They nicely released me from my duty and added me back in the rotation. In August. During the Olympics. I was excused from that day, I think because people had Olympic Fever and had just stopped working. I pretended like I still had jury duty though and bailed on work because at that point I was getting married about two weeks after the Olympics.
At that point I worked for an entirely dysfunctional program in Fulton County. My hours were 1pm-9:30 pm, Tuesday-Saturday, in an aftercare program for kids recently released from long-term detention. Ironically, I spent at least three days a week at juvenile court (go Judge Hatchett!). Since I was a n00b at DJJ I hardly had any vacation days accrued for the wedding or honeymoon. I was in a mind fog from my dad dying and I needed a break. I took it. I remember going to the mall for something and seeing my mother-in-law. I told her I skipped out on work even though I'd been excused from jury duty. 

I don't think that went over well.

The next time I got called for jury duty was in 2002. I had a 6 month old and didn't realize I could beg out. So I did my duty and my mom watched my daughter and brought her to me at lunch. I ended up on a murder trial for three days. I was no longer a case-worker at that point, but I specifically recall the lawyers only asking me one question. What did my husband do? Apparently no one had any interest in what I did or thought or anything else even though I'd worked closely in the Juvenile Justice system for several years. Yay jury system!

I was called again in 2005. My second daughter was about 2 months old and there was no way I was repeating the process from the last time. I called and begged out. 

(There may be another date in here but I can't remember, because it seems weird I wasn't immediately added back into the rotation like the other times.)

In 2009 I was called and got to go to the new jury waiting room. It was nicer with plugs and stuff for your phones and laptops. I remember reading a book that I brought with me in the first couple of hours. At lunch I walked to Little Shop of Stories and bought 2 more books. I read those in the increasingly uncomfortable room until 5:30 pm. My number was never called. Note: Someone needs to put couches in that room. Or maybe a Lazy-boy. Just a suggestion.

In 2011 I reported again. The highlight of the day happened at about 8:30 AM. Some guy made it VERY clear he did not want to be there. I didn't blame him. I didn't want to be there either, again, but alas no one asked me and believe it or not I'm not really into public humiliation. Therefore I ended up watching Judge Wong's welcome movie--again. The bonus was that I got to leave at lunch. The sad part was I had no excuse to go out for lunch. .

And now...it's 2013. I got my summons for mid-July when I was coming home from vacation and had to be at work the next day. I feel a jury in my future. The odds are NOT in my favor.  I called and asked if they could move it back, which they nice agreed to.  I convinced them to push it to when my kids were back in school and my summer work was over. So yay! I have two weeks of "time off" from my studio yet get to go in. Even better is that when I changed dates I became juror #1. ONE.

I don't have a good feeling about this.

I'd like to use this opportunity to express how I'm NOT a good person for a jury. First I can't keep a secret. That whole, you can't discuss the trial with anyone? That is just not possible. I mean, I won't post about it on Facebook or Twitter (promise) but...I don't know. I'm a compulsive confessor. It's just not easy for me to keep my mouth shut. Second, that time with the juvies changed me. One one hand I feel sympathy for the defendant. I was an advocate for a long time.  On the other hand I am well aware of what people can do. I don't trust anyone and odds are they're lying. Someone is lying. Everyone lies. Especially when they could go to jail. Why would they start telling the truth then? I'm way to jaded to be on a jury. Third? I just reallllllly don't want to, mostly because Dekalb County has GOT to find someone else to rotate through every eighteen months besides me. 

I guess Monday will add another notch on my jury duty belt. I'll take notes.

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