I had Jury Duty

It seems that DC really has a hard time getting people to serve as jurors. That’s the only conclusion I can draw after being called to jury duty for the fourth time since June of 2004. I had jury duty June 3, 2004; June 22, 2006; July 2, 2008 and now January 12, 2011. This seems to be just a little excessive as far as I’m concerned.

I was part of the first group so I had to show up at 8am to check in. I was juror 508.

One of the constants with jury duty is the waiting and the waiting and the waiting. I got checked in by around 8:15 or so. I then went into the jury room. Sometime around 9 they played the orientation video. At least this had changed. The last time I was there the video was the same one I’d seen the other times I’d been called. In fact it was the same video (I use that term on purpose because it started out as a video and was then transferred to DVD), that they had used for more than 10 years in fact I’d put it closer to being 20 years.

The new jury introduction was sort of like a power point presentation with narration. It was deadly dull. I slept through part of it. The waiting continued. They finally about 11:15 jury panels were called. Unfortunately I was called for one.

We all go down to the court room. We get into three lines. The clerk of the court comes out and starts calling off our numbers. This is the same order that we were called up in the jury waiting room. We again form three lines. A questionnaire is handed out to us and then we go into the court room. Some people got to sit down in the jury box; the rest filled the courtroom.

The judge comes in. She tells us generally what the case is about. It’s a gun case involving an open container of alcohol. She then reads the questions. If we answer yes to any of them, we are supposed to circle the number. The questions cover a broad range of topics. Do you know anyone in the court room? Do you know the defendant? Do you know any of the witnesses? Do you go by the area where this crime happened? There’s a series of questions about guns. A series about whether for any reason you think you could not impartially render a verdict.

Once we answer all the questions the papers are passed to the judge. Each juror is then called before the judge to to over the questionnaire. The attorneys and the defendant are there as well. I didn’t circle any numbers. I was asked two additional questions (everyone was asked these as well): what is your profession and where do you live.

Now came the challenges to the jury. People got tossed off the panel. I ended up sitting in seat number 5. There were more challenges. I started to think I was going to be on the jury. Then they said the juror 805 you’re excused. They then sat someone else in the seat I’d just been in. The judge said we have a jury. Talk about a close call.

After that I went to lunch. Then back to the jury room. There was one more panel called. Then around 3:05 everyone was called in and dismissed.

Now I'm off the hook until sometime in 2013.