jury duty

  I completed my civic responsibility today!  I  was called for jury duty and, like most people, was really dreading it.  I had never served before and was a little nervous about going to the courthouse and everything that jury duty entailed.

  I signed in at 7:45 am.  After checking in about 200 prospective jurors, they gave us a little synopsis of how the day would proceed.  Then, they popped in the movie "The Guardian" and announced that they would need 50 jurors right off the bat.  They called out names, and then more names about every half hour thereafter.  I was never called and watched the entire movie in a very comfy movie-theatre-like chair!  Then they dismissed us for lunch from 11:30-1:00.  I ordered some yummy roasted chicken for lunch at the Courthouse Cafe, then checked e-mail & surfed the internet on one of the computers available for juror use for the rest of my break.  At 1:00 I returned to the juror waiting area and watched "Monster-in-law" until 2:30 when they released those of us that were left.  How easy was that?!

  I have to admit that I was relieved not to be chosen or even called for the Voir Dire.  I had been trying to guess what types of questions the attorneys would ask me and plan how I would answer.  It must be hard when people get picked for a trial that lasts for more than a day or two.  But, if I were the defendant in a trial I know that I would want a jury made up of good solid citizens, wouldn't you?

Has anyone out there served as a juror on an actual trial??