Jury Duty, Day 2

Well, it was a rough start today. First of all, Tony was up getting sick all night, so I didn't sleep well. I've never heard anyone puke quite like him!! I wouldn't be surprised if he woke the entire neighborhood. Honey, I'm very sorry you didn't feel well - I really am, but I wish you could have felt awful a little more quietly! Seriously, I am sorry you got sick and I hope you feel better soon - and not just so I don't have to hear it again, but because that really sucks!

So anyway, I had to get up earlier than normal again today, although, I didn't have to be downtown until 8:30 this morning. I got the added bonus of having jury duty in lovely Cleveland in January - more snow and colder temps. I got ready and headed out the door by 7:30 (makes me very thankful for my normal 10 minute commute to work on city streets) and dealt with traffic and bad road conditions. It wasn't that good, but really, not horrible either and I got to the parking garage by around 8:15. By the way, yesterday, my car was one of the few that was not double parked, so I was able to get out relatively quickly when we were dismissed at 3:30. And also, by the way, I spent the entire rest of the afternoon sitting and waiting around yesterday. I was never called again for another case and passed the time finding games to play on my very treasured laptop.


OK, back to today - So I got parked and walked over to the Justice Center and came to the jury assembly room. "My spot" at a cube where I sat yesterday was open, but to my dismay, I wasn't able to get an internet connection. Most people around me were having trouble - I only heard of one guy that got on. So I had to find something to do to pass the morning that wasn't work related. I balanced my checkbooks and then played a few games that I brought on CD's - poker and tetris. Then at about 10:30, my name was called again. So off I went. This time with about 24 others and we went to the 23rd floor (the top floor) and were going to be seated for a criminal case. This time, we all just went into a jury holding room. It's like a large conference room with a long table and chairs all around. There were restrooms and the baliff made coffee - gee, how nice of her! So there the 25 or so of us sat - and sat, and sat. We all had to listen to the loud mouth lady who was juror #1 on my case yesterday that the judge excused because she said she couldn't be on a jury because of her religious believes that there is only one judge and it's not her or anyone else in the court systems. Yesterday, when the judge explained to her that the case was not a criminal case, she said, "but the ones involved knows who is guilty and who isn't, so if they're here in court, they'll have to wait to be judged in the end"..........OK, now I believe in the same God, but really, I also believe in (and am grateful to have) our country's court system. This lady didn't shut up for about the first hour sitting in this room today. I thought I might have to shut her up, but she finally simmered down a bit. As we waited, a man came out of the mens room and reported that the toilet wasn't working in there. A few ladies tried the ladies room, and commented that the water didn't look right. The baliff came in around 11:30 and told us to go back to the jury assembly area to wait since the water situation seemed like a problem. We were not dismissed, but just had to wait there instead. So, here's the difference between a civil and criminal case: The civil case you go right in to the court room to start the questioning and begin hearing about the case. A criminal case, you wait in this jury room while they attempt to iron out the plea deal. I finally got my internet connection when I came back to the jury assembly area - YEAH!!! Checked email and a few other things. Around noon, they came back on the speaker to announce that our case had met a plea deal, so we were dismissed off the case and were able to go to lunch. All other jurors not on a case were dismissed for lunch at 11:30 (and had until 1:15 - who gets a hour and 45 minute lunch??? I'm in the wrong business!!!)
Today, I brought my own lunch so not to have to pay for overpriced crappy food. It's bad enough that I have to pay $8 a day for parking and drive here every day. So you give your time AND your money for this public service. Oh, yeah, I forgot - in 2-3 weeks, I'll get my $25 per day to make up for it.
So here I sit again, waiting for my name to be called again - or for 3:30 when I can go for the day!!!! Wonder which will come first? For now, I'll just go back to playing internet games!! Please, oh, please don't let me lose my wireless connection!!!!