Law And Order: Matthew Baldwin Unit
Jury Duty — huzzah! No postings until I manage to weasel my way out or until my trial is concluded. Update: Stupid justice system. Apparently I possess subpar weasling skills, so no yeti for the...
View ArticleJury Duty I: Summons
All my life I have wanted to do Jury Duty. As a teen I was addicted to Perry Mason novels and L.A. Law; in college I got a phenomenal score on a practice LSAT test I took for kicks; in Peace Corps I...
View ArticleJury Duty II: Voir Dire
Previously: Summons. Unlike the first two jury pools, my group of 50 did not immediately tromp off to meet their judge. We were instead asked to fill out a questionnaire and return it to the Courthouse...
View ArticleJury Duty III: The Trial
Previously: Voir dire During voir dire we were lectured, questioned, and talked down to. Then the jury was selected and we broke for lunch. Upon our return, we were suddenly treated like royalty. “All...
View ArticleJury Duty IV: Deliberations
Previously: The Trial This is the part of the story where I become a hero. You already know how it goes. We retire to the jury room and take a preliminary vote. It is 11-1 guilty, and I have cast the...
View ArticleJury Duty V: Verdict and Aftermath
Previously: Deliberations. An hour after we had come to our decision we were ushered back into the courtroom. I had expected all the participants to be present: the victim, the witnesses, the family,...
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