Adventures in Jury-land...

I had postponed 3 times since first receiving my notice, and told I couldn't postpone anymore, so dutifully, on Monday morning (way too early on Monday morning) I drove to Taunton to fulfill my civil obligation. Normally I don't carry cash in my wallet since I've become a slave to my debit card, but by the grace of God I had a little cash left over from our ski weekend, and thus when the "free parking" lot attendant told me I needed to cough up $5.00 to park, I was prepared, and unlike some others in the line before me, I wasn't told to go find an ATM and then get back in the long line of cars!

The court officer was about as warm as the weather in Siberia this time of year, but once checked in, I took the seat the barked out - and I mean barked out, and waited for the fun to begin. Prepared for the day, I took out my book and tried to lose myself in it, but the idle chatter all around me kept me from concentrating, and I found myself reading the same lines over and over again. The judge came in and announced that they had a fun docket so we shouldn't expect to be let off. Yippee (<=== insert sarcasm here). After a brief video we were told we'd wait upstairs in either of two rooms while details of the first case were "ironed out". 70 people walked up stairs to the two tiny rooms that were equipped to hold about 30. Really. Talk about up close and personal with complete strangers! Sorta like the red-eye flight to Irkutsk, Russia on Aeroflot Airlines, only less b.o.!

I was lucky enough to score a corner seat where I could lean up against the wall in my chair and read! One side of me was the wall, the other, a stack of chairs. I put my feet on the chairs, and tilted the chair back, and I was somewhat comfy. About an hour and 5 chapters later, we were ushered back downstairs to hear the details of the case before impanelment. One by one we were called up to the sidebar and asked a series of questions about our ability or inability to serve impartially and to voice any concerns we had.

Now don't get me wrong, in the past I've looked forward to jury duty, but since I began homeschooling, I couldn't imagine having to miss school and make it up come springtime! I tried to get out of serving by explaining that "I" was the only teacher the boys have, and that each day in court was a day they missed school, and a day we would all have to make up at the end of our school year. She wasn't buying it - though I'm not so sure she got it. She told me that if I was a "real" teacher (I bit my tongue on that one) I'd have to serve so my case was no different. Well, begging her pardon, it is very different. If I were a "real" teacher (her term mind you) and had been summoned to jury duty, the school department would call in a substitute.
Anyway, I wasn't surprised when, after the rest of the questions, I was told to take my place in the jury box in seat number 4...

Long story short, just as I was getting used to the idea that I'd be making up school days come May, in the last round of attorney dismissals, I was excused from the case! Not sure who it was who took pity on me - the Prosecutor or the Defense Attorney, but the point is, one of them did, and I - Juror number 33 - was free! Free to drive home and resume my quiet little life.

The boys on the other hand weren't as thrilled -since in their 5 & 7 year old minds, they were gonna get themselves a little vacation. Sorry boys!