The judicial system at work is such a beautiful thing, right Buster?
This week’s impromptu Picture Day Wednesday post is inspired by the wonderful news I got in the mail this morning that for the third time in my exciting life, I have been summoned for jury duty. That completely loathed, yet underappreciated of all civic duties we citizens of these United States are asked demanded to perform. Having previously 
served in October 2003 and October 2011, I figured I was still a few years away from being due to have my number drawn again. I guess it’s a good thing we got rid of the draft before I was born…
Not that I really got to be an actual juror before, mind you. Both previous tours of duty ended after the second day, and only in the latter stay did I even make it to an actual courtroom where an actual case would have been held had the defendant not pleaded guilty upon finding the demographics of the jury pool to not be to his liking. If I must go again (it’s for the week of June 12th)…. an actual trial, no matter how petty the case, would at least make it worth it the aggravation.
Snuggle Bear is wearing the “JUROR” button we had to have on while at the courthouse so that attorneys knew to steer clear of us (If only we had such a button for real life). I took it home after the 2003 run even though I don’t think we were supposed to. How would you like to have the fate of your freedom and/or life in the paws of ol’ Uncle Snuggie?
NEXT! BWAHAHAHA!!!!
Thanks to everyone who left well wishes for my Dad on yesterday’s post. His condition is still concerning, but not getting worse. Since I don’t like to broach subjects like this on my blog, you can take it as a good sign if I don’t mention anything about it again. I’ll catch up on the blog reading I’ve been neglecting tonight…
Evil Squirrel's Nest 
I’ve never been called (though summoned a couple times), maybe all those years toiling in the legal biz provided some special Ju-Ju. Either way, hope it turns out well for you. 😉
We shall see. One benefit I’ll have that my fellow draftees won’t is the ability to go however many hours we’re there each day without a cellphone! My last tour six years ago was early in the smartphone revolution, and I only remember one or two people there who seemed genuinely unnerved by having the phone forcibly detached from their hands…
ody N biskit…..we send sorreez two yur dad……juree dooteez like de PITZ oh de pit…..984 pawz still crossed for gram paw aka dadz dad ☺☺♥♥
(glad to hear Dad’s stable – continuing to send well wishes)
I got called forth once. A case where one person was suing the other for some ridiculous amount of money over a car crash. No one was killed, maimed, or even slightly injured. I express my view that I thought the suing for money in such instances was ridiculous and was promptly dismissed to go home. I haven’t been summoned since, thank goodness.
LOL! That was kinda like the case my Mom wound up a juror for, a crash involving a pizza delivery guy (Back when Domino’s still had their 30 minute delivery guarantee). A vast majority of the cases my county courthouse handles involve mesothelioma lawsuits, which generally end up settled out of court. But we can be subject to being called for any case that’s being handled that week, so who knows what will be in store. Maybe I’ll get lucky and it’ll be summer break or something!
I haven’t been called either (we do not have a jury, but we also do have laymen in our courts. Not in the small courts, but when some more serious things are dealt with, you have them in criminal court or in civil courts. There is always someone from an union when it is about labour contracts.
Interesting. I think in the US you can request a trial by jury for literally anything…. though in non-criminal matters you subject yourself to the extra court costs if that’s your desire. That’s what small claims court (where the judge is sole arbiter) is for…
When we lived in Boston, I got called for Jury Duty about twice a year. It was ridiculous and eventually, I actually had to spend a day on a jury. When we moved here, they called me up (again), but told me the site was located in a city about 50 miles north, or what WE call “almost New Hampshire.” I said “I’m not going” and they said “You have to go” and I said “Not happening.”
I didn’t go. For all I know, there’s a warrant out for my arrest.
LOL, I had no idea I was associating with a potential fugitive! Hmmmmm, maybe that would get me excused if I brought it up during voir dire…
I’ve never been called upon for jury duty and I hope I never am.
Well, you do your civic duty enough by finding me guilty of bad musical taste. Though a judge is supposed to be called Your Honor, not Ass Monkey…
I think Judge Ass Monkey has a nice ring to it…
So you stole a “juror” badge from a court of law…
I’ve not been called up yet, yay! From what I’ve heard, it’s extremely boring, ie take a book and expect to just sit in the foyer all day not convicting anyone.
Yep, that’s pretty much the US jury experience as well. And the pay to act bored all day sucks…
we sadly haven’t this duty here, but I think it would be a good thing for france too… Hugs to your dad, all paws and fingers are crossed…
I was called TWICE for jury duty and never actually served. Made it through the stage where the attorneys are asking questions to find out if anyone is “their kind of person” to be on the jury but never made it to actually serving. It didn’t hurt my feelings….much. Maybe my idea to wear mismatched shoes and tease my hair out in all directions and apply lipstick to my neck instead of my lips and laugh out loud at strange moments and fake-cough incessantly had something to do with not being picked to serve???? Ya think?
Pam
I don’t know…. sometimes lawyers are trying to find the 12 stupidest people in the room. Maybe they saw through your disguise…
You poor evil friend. Jury duty – 12 people who are trapped in a room who couldn’t get out of it. Tsk-tsk. Thank goodness I’m a pig. Mom hates going. As soon as they find out what she does for a living, she’s dismissed. Rolls piggy eyes. XOXO – Bacon
There must be a way to get on the permanently dismissed list. Maybe if you said something snarky about the judge’s wig…
HA! Daddy kept falling asleep. He hasn’t been called since. Maybe there is a way…. or was it the fact that he told the lawyers he watches Law and Order on television and they always solve everything in an hour? snorts with piggy laughter. XOXO – Bacon
I’ve been called up and served on a jury for I think a month and 1/2, a Double Homicide,Execution style of an elderly couple who owned a gun store…..sad….we found the guys guiltier then shit! Life for both ! Most of it was pretty boring, but when it came to photo’s and stuff it was gross! We even got sequestered for 2 nights….got to eat at the fancy restaurant too.. I was even working at the time, court 9am-12…at lunch I’d go to work and do my ordering and making sure everyone was doing their job,1-4pm back to court, then I’d rush home and eat then back to the kitchen until 10 or 11 pm….then sleep and do it all over again! I was a tired puppy!
Weirdest thing about it was one of the guys being tired looked like the twin of my first boyfriend..freaky & creepy, I couldn’t quit staring at him…. I wouldn’t wish that kind of Jury duty on anyone!
The first time I went, I was lucky to miss selection for a coroner’s jury that got to look at gruesome photos from a boating accident. I don’t do well with blood and guts… ick!
I agree, I wish I hadn’t seen them! 😦
oops…on trial..not tired! 🙂
Where is your comic? I’m worried.
I’m OK. Spent most of the day at the hospital, started on the comic, then was too tired to finish it. I’m working on that right now…
I notice when a routine is broken…if you feel the need to vent, email me.
You said you would notice if I missed a Thursday, and you did. My procrastination is the real culprit… I used to do this stuff on Wednesday night.
Told ya I would.
Procrastination, much like taco farts, happen.
Uncle Snuggle on a jury…that’s a terrifying thought! I got summoned about five years ago. I spent the day sitting in a room, waiting. Because of my social anxiety, I was on the verge of complete meltdown by the time we were herded into the courtroom for questioning. I was afraid to raise my hand or open my mouth because my anxiety always comes spilling out in inappropriate ways, like crying or laughing uncontrollably. I’ve laughed through graduations, weddings and even funerals. Once it gets started, there’s no stopping it! Thankfully, I didn’t get chosen so I don’t have to add courtroom to the list of places I’ve made an ass out of myself in.
You remind me of why I always try to find ways out of funerals. There are so many triggers that can get me giggling uncontrollably, and one of them is adults crying. My Granny’s death was the only time I was with family when we got that kind of news, and while everyone else around me was sobbing, I had my hand over my face pretending to cry but really trying to stifle a laughing fit. Granny would probably paddle me from beyond if she knew about that!
Oh dear. Yes, she would probably give you a good paddling!
My cousin and I laughed through my uncle’s funeral. I really hope everyone thought we were crying.