tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post2791864586144500153..comments2024-02-20T08:25:06.177-08:00Comments on Confessions of ignorance: Jury duty, and other forms of public happinessseana grahamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-58576916392428265372012-11-01T13:06:03.956-07:002012-11-01T13:06:03.956-07:00It looks like Sean's comment got eaten, so for...It looks like Sean's comment got eaten, so for anyone trying to follow along, it was:<br /><br />"Peter- Yes it was Middlesex Superior. Making matters worse. I drink a lot of coffee in the AM and Mother Nature started calling right when I got on RT 93. My kidneys were bursting, and on that highway, there are no options to pull over. I was in agony".seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-62345693664721437802012-11-01T11:54:38.659-07:002012-11-01T11:54:38.659-07:00Sean, I had to get there every day from Somerville...Sean, I had to get there every day from Somerville, where I lived at the time -- piece o' ****. How long ago was your miserable summons? Judge Hiller Zobel wasn't still around, was he? (His wife, Rya, was a federal judge. There can't be too many such couples around.)Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-41880858646327383472012-11-01T09:45:36.002-07:002012-11-01T09:45:36.002-07:00Peter- Yes it was Middlesex Superior. Making matte...Peter- Yes it was Middlesex Superior. Making matters worse. I drink a lot of coffee in the AM and Mother Nature started calling right when I got on RT 93. My kidneys were bursting, and on that highway, there are no options to pull over. I was in agony.Sean Patrick Reardonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14051252366031997054noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-82707730588384546952012-11-01T03:42:37.498-07:002012-11-01T03:42:37.498-07:00In that case, content yourself with the thought th...In that case, content yourself with the thought that "A woman who mistook a stain on her shirt for water" sounds like a book by Oliver Sacks.<br />Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-42479047895445870382012-11-01T03:31:44.924-07:002012-11-01T03:31:44.924-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-61415939756116817432012-10-31T21:57:29.431-07:002012-10-31T21:57:29.431-07:00Unfortunately, it wasn't. Not that I'm kno...Unfortunately, it wasn't. Not that I'm knocking providence, because I appear to have benefitted from same...<br />seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-90161532383599960572012-10-31T21:41:53.674-07:002012-10-31T21:41:53.674-07:00"a woman who mistook a stain on her shirt for..."a woman who mistook a stain on her shirt for water."<br /><br />It would be a gift from providence if she'd been a juror in a money-laundering case.Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-91289458302130621052012-10-31T21:38:26.818-07:002012-10-31T21:38:26.818-07:00One of the jurors, a woman, wore a neck brace. The...One of the jurors, a woman, wore a neck brace. The juror who sat next to her was a man of Chinese descent. I naturally dubbed them Mr. Chin and Mrs. Neck.Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-78663420662249759602012-10-31T21:34:33.714-07:002012-10-31T21:34:33.714-07:00Great. In my case, you would have had to come up w...Great. In my case, you would have had to come up with a nickname for a woman who mistook a stain on her shirt for water. I'd like to say that that was a one off, but unfortunately, that would not be the truth. seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-41654876388510845442012-10-31T21:30:40.138-07:002012-10-31T21:30:40.138-07:00The eventual foreman turned out to be a Harvard de...The eventual foreman turned out to be a Harvard dean. And a fellow reporter and I had great fun coming up with nicknames for the jurors based on their appearance, dress, and demeanor.Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-89771759184951549732012-10-31T21:20:05.425-07:002012-10-31T21:20:05.425-07:00Our judge said that in the initial group, people w...Our judge said that in the initial group, people would be falling like endangered species, which I thought was pretty clever of him. All due modesty aside, I had the feeling that I'd immediately get booted or I'd be the foreman of the jury. I don't think this because I'm smarter than anyone else, but just, owing to my own experiences, I'm not all that intimidatable. Well, not on that level of the law, anyway. This was a misdemeanor case. Which, given the budget stringencies that the judge impressed upon us at the outset, probably shouldn't have been tried at all.seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-29744703194415606872012-10-31T21:08:35.044-07:002012-10-31T21:08:35.044-07:00It was interesting to observe jury selection at th...It was interesting to observe jury selection at that murder trial I mentioned. One of the prospective jurors was a clergyman, a gentleman of such spotless morals and social standing you could practically hear everyone in the courtroom thinking, "Aha! He'll be the jury foreman."<br /><br />So, when the prosecutor used one of his peremptory challenges and rejected him before he could even approach the front of the room to be questioned, the room erupted in laughter. Or at least I remember it that way. I do know that some people laughed.<br /><br />That was twenty-seven years ago, and it's odd to think that the then-young man convicted in the case is still in prison, if he's still alive, and will be there for the rest of his life.Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-22501477796543278442012-10-31T21:06:57.025-07:002012-10-31T21:06:57.025-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-23599191657166549702012-10-31T20:52:10.673-07:002012-10-31T20:52:10.673-07:00I would enjoy Harvey's take on the experience,...I would enjoy Harvey's take on the experience, I think. <br /><br />Jury selection is an odd process. I liked the way the judge and both sides hastened to assure us that our nonselection was not personal. And I think it's a bit odd that, as no one REALLY wants to serve, there is all the same a bit of umbrage you take when you get kicked off. I mean, assuming you answered the questions honestly, which I did. They all hasten to say that it's "not about you", it's just that you might not be right for THIS jury. <br /><br />I actually think I'd be fairly competent on any jury going, but that didn't stop the sense of relief I felt when I thought about it that night and knew I wouldn't be going back.<br /><br />Jesus, why on earth would anybody be a lawyer? Personally, you couldn't pay me enough. seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-6146062824580712142012-10-31T20:40:13.672-07:002012-10-31T20:40:13.672-07:00Seana, our man Harvey Pekar wrote an interesting s...Seana, our man Harvey Pekar wrote an interesting story about his experiences with jury duty. If I could find a Harvey Pekar index somewhere, I'd be a bit more helpful.<br /><br />Pekar relates his doubts about mandatory sentencing and the sympathetic hearing he received from the judge, as well as a discussion he had with a friend afterward. (He, like everuyone else here, did not get picked.)<br /><br />I once covered a murder trial during which a similarly sympathetic judge called all the reporters into his chambers to ask about and discuss the books we were reading at the time. This happened, by the way, in the same court Sean had such trouble getting to, assuming it was Middlesex Superior Court.Peter Rozovskyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09977933481463759162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-75978384516427565432012-10-31T19:47:31.627-07:002012-10-31T19:47:31.627-07:00Kathleen, I think voting and jury duty are great r...Kathleen, I think voting and jury duty are great reminders that we are citizens. That there is another aspect of lives that we periodically need to acknowledge and appreciate. But I do think Gary Patton and Hannah Arendt's stance on what citizenship is really about is pretty exciting.<br /><br />Our local U.S. Congressman, Sam Farr has not only been great about holding town halls, but I've taken part in a couple of phone town halls, which felt very participatory.seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-45555257826009870502012-10-31T19:30:01.212-07:002012-10-31T19:30:01.212-07:00Sean, well, I didn't reveal in my post that I ...Sean, well, I didn't reveal in my post that I wasn't entirely unhappy to get my jury summons. This was because I'm also in a pool to be on a district court jury in our neighboring metropolis, San Jose. You'd think that being pretty far away from the city and without a car would be enough to get me off this duty, but I looked into it and I was within mileage range of having to do this. So I was thrilled to hear that showing up for jury duty actually got me off the hook for further jury duty for a couple of years--not just in Santa Cruz County, but in this district court situation as well.<br /><br />A funny thing happened after I was excused and a fellow prospective juror and I went back to make sure we weren't required to sit through a second trial session. A police guy told us that we were really lucky. The next day they were selecting a jury for a case that would probably go on till New Year's.<br /><br />I only actually served four hours of jury duty, and I did find it interesting, but even that small amount felt enervating. So I'm glad I don't have to keep showing up to the courthouse all through the fall.seana grahamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03774794086733027289noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-16412246657529022072012-10-31T07:38:31.202-07:002012-10-31T07:38:31.202-07:00I, too, feel like a citizen when answering the sum...I, too, feel like a citizen when answering the summons to jury duty! I like to vote, too. But I love this close look at civic discourse! Yay! Thank you!Kathleenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06559881249054540947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1054888927218536027.post-35486078175952176442012-10-31T07:23:43.293-07:002012-10-31T07:23:43.293-07:00My last experience with Jury duty as miserable. Ha...My last experience with Jury duty as miserable. Had to go to Cambridge and be there by 8:00 AM, which meant I had to leave home by 5:30 to avoid sitting in gridlock for 2 hours to go approx 12 miles on the highway into Boston. Didn't matter, as there was an accident and I got there just at 8:00 AM. I was so infuriated that I kept thinking " I don't care, if I get picked, I am voting guilty for putting me though all this stress" In the end I did not get picked and got let loose at 3:00 PM, only to sit in another 2.5 hours of traffic to get home, which is about a 40 mile commute. With no traffic it takes me 50 minutes. The Patriotic video they show you, did calm me down, and I ended up reading a good book while I waited. Short stories by Guy de Maupassant, so all was not lost!Sean Patrick Reardonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14051252366031997054noreply@blogger.com