Thursday Report

As an intro, you need to know that my computer crashed (BAD!!!) as I was finishing breakfast on Friday. (No, I didn’t spill hot cocoa or anything on it… JP thinks we have hardware problems of the BIG variety.) JP has us on a hop-along computer so that we can get online without having to use HIS computer. But my pictures are either on the camera or the old hard drive.

But I still have words!! 😀

A few weeks ago when other not-so-good news rolled in, I also got a jury summons for Thursday. Bummer. I was OK with the jury part, but this was for a coroner’s jury. Frankly, I don’t want to see the pictures.   I figured there wasn’t another side deciding to settle the day before, KWIM? And I was right. When I called for the recorded message on Wednesday night, they said to report at 9 a.m. as printed in the letter.

I did.

I arrived about 8:58, seeing no reason to be early. (Except that I had NO idea where to go once in the building.)

Point 1: small county = we all know everything, no need for signs. 🙄

No metal detector. No check of my purse. I was only asked to turn off my cell phone.

I was the next to last to check-in with the bailiff. I entered the court room and found a seat on the benches/pews along with about 25 – 30 others. In another minute, the bailiff went through the courtroom to the back. He walked back through. Another man came in the courtroom in a white shirt & tie. He shuffled some papers on a lawyer table and then came to talk to us.

He explained that in some cases a Coroner’s Jury is called in on a homicide or suicide case. In this case, someone had died while in the county jail so they needed public input to settle the case. I assume so that the coroner isn’t in cahoots with the police officers running the jail type of situation.

He asked us to introduce ourselves and give our occupation. I’m a SATW and help my husband who farms. (Stay At Home Wife 🙂 ) I raised my hand to ask who he was and he looked me square in the eyes and didn’t stop or “call on me” to ask my question. I wasn’t going to interrupt him so did nothing.

I just wondered who HE was!! Did he miss Public Presentation 101 where one introduces oneself to the audience??

If I had to introduce myself, why didn’t he?

Was he the judge without his robe?

Was he a lawyer?

Or the other lawyer?

Who is he and why should I answer his questions?

(Point 2: we are a small county so we know everyone. BTW, I only knew one other person in the jury pool, so NO I don’t know everyone!)

He then (as he ignored me) asked if anyone was having trouble hearing him. Three people raised their hands and were excused.

He asked if anyone had a recent death in the family; that talking of death would be difficult. One raised her hand and was dismissed.

He read a list of witnesses to be called that day and if we had any aquaintance with them, we were to state that. One lady worked with one of the persons named so she was excused.

Next he asked for any volunteers that wanted to serve on the jury. He counted raised hands and got his needed 8. Those people moved to the jury box and THE REST OF US WERE DISMISSED!!! Just like that.

We checked out with the bailiff and left!

I was down the steps, out the door, down more steps, and walked to the car on the side of the block. I turned on the car and the radio announcer said it was 9:09 a.m.!!

Wahoo!!

I got home at 9:30.

I was almost glad I got to clean my bathroom (since I was home!) and start a load of laundry. Lunch was already in the crock pot for the men so I went to sew. Delightful!! 🙂

I did ask the one person I knew that I was sitting beside WHO the guy was that was speaking. Oh! He was the county coroner. I guess we are all supposed to know that. Sorry I’ve never had the “pleasure” of meeting him. Phil thinks he just lost my vote in the fall! LOL!!

In today’s mail was my check for $30 for serving on the jury.    🙂    (I think $15 for jury and the rest is milage.)  Phil said maybe my 9 minutes weren’t so bad after all!!     🙂