I had received my summons for Jury duty about a month ago. For the following weeks I debated whether to go or not. I really wanted to go but having my vacations just one week later scared me a little. At United, we bid for our vacations a year in advance and there is no rescheduling. If for any reason you cannot go on your vacations, then they are lost. I had heard that most trials lasted between 3 to seven days, but there is always the possibility of the "good" one that will last for weeks or even months. In the end, I decided not to stress about it and to go.
I woke up at 6am to get ready and left the house at 6:45. I drove to the trolley station at Mission Valley. Parking downtown is either impossible or very expensive. The trolley is just very convenient. I wish I could take it more often. The last time I rode it was when we sang the National Anthem at Petco Park for a Padres game in July of 07. Norman takes it as often as possible to go to work. Unfortunately for me it does not really help. I rarely go downtown.
Anyway, on a chilly morning I arrived at the Hall of Justice on Broadway Avenue. I had to be there at 7:45 but I was a little early. I past through security and entered the Juror Lounge where some people sat already. I took my paperwork and went to sit. I started to read the booklet about the elections that I had received in the mail but had not had time to look through. I wanted to learn more about all the propositions that we have to vote for in November. Well, like the ads on TV, for or against each one of them, after reading the arguments from each side, I still did not know which way to sway. Some were easy, like Prop 8 wanting to amend the Constitution, another banning alcohol on all beaches, another preventing animal to be kept is spaces so tight they can barely move. Others were mostly economic and impossible for me to decipher. Some truth is probably in both sides. One's vote has to do with personal beliefs and opinions but unless your involved in each case it is difficult to make a knowledgeable decision.
Back to the Juror Lounge. They start orientation. The room is filled now with hundreds of people. After a video, a judge gives us a brief overview of how the day will go. A clerk takes over and tell us how to fill in our paperwork. After that you sit and wait. They start calling people for whom they add questions or concerns and then finally at about 9 call groups to report to different Department (Court rooms). There are 70 court rooms I believe. San Diego is the 3rd largest Court in the nation after Los Angeles and Chicago. They call my name and I am to report to Department 27. There are between 50 and 60 of us. A clerk makes sure that everyone called is present and then after a little while she comes with the list of the first 21 jurors selected. I am not part of them. We enter and take our seats. The 12 main jurors plus 3 alternates in the Jurors box; 6 more sit in the front row. The rest of us seat wherever. All the parties are already in the room. The judge, the attorneys, the defendants, the clerk, the court reporter, and the bailiffs. The room is about 50x50 with bright ceiling lights. Definitely not as glamorous as TV. Behind the judge there is the Seal of the State of CA, a US flag and a Lady Justice statue. The judge today is Judge Bernard E. Revak. He tells us about the case and the procedures. This is a criminal case with 2 defendants. Each have a lawyer. The District Attorney will have to show that the accused are guilty on 10 counts including drug possession and child abuse.
The 21 jurors introduce themselves and are then questioned by the D.A. and the attorneys to gauge their ability to be fair and impartial in the case. This process takes quite some time. 1 juror is excused by the D.A. and 1 by the attorneys. It's lunch break.
We come back one hour later and continue where we left off. The D.A. excuses 2 more jurors and the attorneys altogether excuse 5 more. New jurors are called in to fill in the empty spots. They introduce themselves and are also questioned by both parties. The judge, the D.A. and the attorneys then deliberate in a corner of the chamber. When we continue, the D.A. excuses 5 more jurors, and the attorneys 4. I wondered at first why they had put so many of us in one court room, but when I see the pace at which we are being excused, I u now understand why. A few new jurors are called, but then the judge calls for a 15 minutes break.
Upon our return, the rest of the jurors are called. The judge excuses 2 jurors who because of work and/or personal reasons, would have a hard time being available for the 4 days this trial is expected to last. Introductions and questioning of the new jurors. 1 is excused by the D.A. and the attorneys excuse 5 more. Even with all those jurors gone, we finally have our main panel of 12. They are sworn in right away. 2 alternates are called to join the one already there. Introductions. The attorneys and the D.A. approach the bench to talk to the judge who then excuses one of the alternates. Questioning of the remaining ones. The D.A. excuses one of them, but the attorneys pass. 2 more jurors are called. Introductions, then questioning which leads to one being excused by the D.A. The attorneys again pass. We finally have our 3 alternates. They are sworn in. The rest of us (about 10) are excused and thanked for our services.
It's about 4pm. The day is almost over. I walk to the trolley station reminiscing on the hours passed in the court room. I am glad I had decided to go. I actually wish I had been called to serve on the jury. Maybe next year. In the meantime I will just continue to enjoy my shows on TV.
