Part one:
Lifestyle: This is my fourth time or more, bring called for a jury. I also believe it will be my last as after 70 , it is no longer required to serve in Los Angeles county.
I am waiting for the orientation to start and hopefully will not have to serve. I know all about it’s my civic responsibility to being open about this but in the past I have already done this. In fact, I was jury foreman in two of the cases.
So we just had an orientation and potentially if called , the average trial lasts 3 -5 days. However , since these are criminal trials it could last much longer.
Not sure about the jury Gods but I don’t want to serve. I do not or can not serve for any length of time. Let’s see what happens. It’s pretty early.
Part two:
It’s now two days after my jury call in and here is an update about the experience with a totally unexpected twist.
The jury crew supervisor comes in and tells all the happy jurists that all cell phones need to be off and likewise no electronic communications for several hours.
They inform us this a high profile case coming down the pike which might last 5 months. The gasp from the masses is severe as how many can get away for 5 months? The first step was to fill out a questionnaire and if you make that cut, you go to a courtroom to fill out another one.
The questionnaire I filled out asked several questions. Can you be available for the trial and how long will your company pay for your salary. My answer 3 days and not available. There are other questions such as your mental and physical health, do you take care of other people as a single parent or an elderly person?
Sure I know exactly what I am going to do for the next 5 months, minute by minute. Five months listening to blabber?
Basically the courts want you to stop your life totally for almost 1/2 a year.
We hand in the questions and then wait, each one of us sweating what is going to happen next? 20 minutes or so the court crew startled to rattle off names of people who were asked to go downstairs to another court room.
About 30 -40 names were mentioned and I was not one of them. We were told to hang around for a bit more if we were needed for another case which did not happen.
We were given discharge papers staying our obligation was finished for a year. For me this would be the last time I would be called as in Los Angeles , those over 70 do not serve unless you volunteer.
I was handed the paper and made a beeline to get out of the courthouse Just in case they changed their mind. Been glad to know you.,
So who was this high profile case? The speculation arose the name of Harvey Weinstein , well know in Hollywood circles as a pig towards women. Good luck Harvey finding anyone who gives a shit about you.
Keep smoking