To Jury, or Not to Jury

So, if you didn't already know, I was chosen for jury duty.

First, let me say that the idea of serving doesn't repulse me. The idea of serving on a jury actually gives me a sense of purpose that I discovered I like. That said, I've got responsibilities that I just can't ignore. Two kids, a third if you count my husband (and I do), an employer that really depends on my attendance at work, people who watch my kids while I work who expect me to be there to pick them up. Most of all, myself. I'm the only person I can depend on to take care of my education. So if it weren't for all this, I'd be thrilled to serve as a juror. Really I would.

It was with these mixed emotions that I walked into the courthouse this morning, running late because I'd misjudged the amount of time it would take me to get downtown, find a place to park in the overcrowded parking garage, and walk the block to the courthouse. Not to mention misjudging my ability to navigate the mess of one-way streets that compose downtown Huntsville, Alabama. If I'd had jury duty in Charleston I never would've made it.

Room 217 was where I got in line to be processed in; a process that was surprisingly fast for a government institution. After filling out short paperwork, I took a seat in the courtroom with about two hundred other people, and a few minutes later the circuit clerk came in and told us a little about how the system works. Jurors are kind of like the government's ladies-in-waiting. They don't really pay you, but they give you enough to keep you happy until they need you. More to the point, they put you in a juror's lounge with TV, internet connection (in case you have a laptop), games, and playing cards, and allow you to bring any reading material you like, music, sewing, whatever. You can chat with the other jurors. And they make your employer pay you for the time you're there if you're a full-time employee.

In return you're at their beck-and-call (side note: was this saying originally "beckoned call?") and come when they need you. Lunch is an hour and a half. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. It's really not asking too much, except that the pay is only $10/day. I was actually itching for the chance.

However, when she said students would be excused from service, I still got up, turned in my juror's badge and parking garage pass, and left. The weight of all those responsibilities, you know.

And that's as close as I got to bringing justice to anyone.

-Ave