civic responsibility

i got served. and today i embarked upon the longest, most boring day ever! all whilst getting booted from a jury.

i once sat on a jury (and we'll leave that story to another post), and figured (rightly so) that it'd be my last. no one wants an attorney on their jury panel. everyone just assumes we know what's going on and what's right, because we got schooled in the laws (fer reals, people think this).

but today was my first time approaching this process with one eye on my blog. sadly, such fore-thinking turned out to be bunk, because all i really noticed was how gangly my fingernails are, the ear hair in the dude sitting next to me, the horrendous breath emanating from the creature sitting in front of me, a plaintiff's lawyer about as interesting and likable as a toad, in a room full of people who couldn't wait to tell the judge why they hate cops.

i had spent the morning planning to spend my lunch break with harry truman, but the other lawyer on my voir dire panel sought me out. he said he wanted to learn about what it is i do while recovering from the practice of law. except that he never asked me a single thing, but talked nonstop about being a litigator, how much his law firm has changed in the past 37 years, and how apparently he isn't allowed to criticize the president's healthcare plan without being called a racist.

under my breath, while my quiet voice called him a racist, i hoped (going so far as praying even) that i never have to depend on a group of my "peers", pulled from such a pool, to make a decision about the fate of my life.

~k