jury duty
so yeah...i had jury duty...it was quite an interesting experience..
as some of you know, i have anxiety...and i also worry big time which isn't good for that...well on my trip to the court house, i had a crazy anxiety attack...i could breathe...things were closing in...i was sweating all over...but i didn't freak...i just told myself that everything would be alright...and i too deep breaths to calm myself...and yeah...i was able to make it...i wanted to get off so bad and i was almost going to but i was only a couple of stops away when i felt better so i stayed on....
i get there...i find out that my number doesn't mean anything...they basically put your name on a random list and that's it...until they call your name, you just sit...so i sat there....i sat for about 2 hours...hoping that my name doesn't get called for assignment...then it does...so i get called to a case...it was an attempted murder case...as the judge was going through the stuff about it and about how to be on a jury, he lets everyone know how long it's projected to last...3 to 4 weeks...i was like O_O...yeah i couldn't do that...i would lose a pay check and not be able to pay rent...then the judge asked everyone if this would pose a hardship and when he came to me, i told him that it would and he dismissed me...that made me so happy...
so i go down to the waiting room...even though i was dismissed from the case, i had to get thrown back into the pool...so i sit and wait some more...earlier that day they said that if we didn't have our name called by about 4:30, we're out of there...it was soooo close...about 3:45 and i get called again...i was like -_-...so i go...i get up there and pretty much just had an intro as to what was all gonna happen and then we were all dismissed for the day...so i go down to the room again cause i was thinking that we needed to check out for the day...but that was not the case and the girl at the front counter gave me the "you're an idiot" face...and told me to come back tomorrow....
so i'm on my second day...the train ride was ok...no anxiety attacks..hah...i get there and things are going ok...the judge tells how long the trial will last and it was gonna be a couple of days...i was cool with that so i didn't try to get out of it...so we go through all the stuff...and start working on the whole jury thing...basically we start with 12 potential jurors...and as the judge goes through everything, he asks if any of it will be a problem for them and who ever has a problems says they do or forever hold their peace...there was one guy...he was sooo annoyed with the whole jury duty thing...so when the judge asked if anyone knew of any reason that they would not be able to give a fair and just trial, he responded with the idea that you know if someone doesn't want to be there, they're gonna go with whatever is gonna get them out asap...and this guy was really hard headed and not afraid of anything and was totally pushing the judges buttons with that idea...it even got to the point where the judge threatened to arrest him...first time ever doing jury duty and i get to see the judge explode...it was awesome...hahaha...then we go to lunch...
i come back and get get back to business...a girl was a little late and sat outside for a half hour...then came in and the judge had a fit...and told her that if it was in the morning, he would have put out a warrant for her arrest...then he dismissed her after giving her a lecture and stuff...that was somewhat scary...after that they go through more of the jury selection process...(which btw this trial was about a guy who had sexual relations in public and was caught...heh)...going through those 12 jurors and weeding out ones that aren't going to work...things were going ok...i just had to make it without them calling me...then as the third juror was dismissed, i hear my name...
i go up there all smiling...they had each juror tell a little about themselves and ask if any of the questions previously asked would cause you to not give a fair and just trial...so i start answering the intro questions and me being all nervous, it totally didn't come out smoothly...but i was fine with all the other questions and would give the fairest of trials...after i answered those the judge asked to talk with the attorneys...they talked for awhile and then it was time for them to ask me some questions...being that i was a replacement and they had already asked the other jurors questions, they focused all their attention on me...the defense attorney asked me questions he seemed fine with having me on...then the other one asked me some and he too seemed fine...i was like -_- thinking that i was gonna be on it...the judged asked if they wanted to remove me/other people and it seemed like they didn't want to...then the prosecutor was like id like to remove juror #7...mr nelson you're dismissed...i get up and start walking out and the judge was like wait...i think he was making sure it was the right guy...and then was like...yeah you're dismissed...so i left...with the biggest smile on my face...HAHAHAH!!!!...
i go downstairs to see if i have to be thrown back into the pool or if i can go home...i got the same girl as before and she gave me the same face...but yeah...i didn't have to stay...so i left ^_^....i was sooooooooo happy..
i think they knew i was shy...and one of the guys asked if anyone was really shy cause they might be pushed into voting one way by some of the other jurors...and wouldn't be able to give a fair trial...he may have seen that...or it might be he didn't like how i looked...or maybe it was the fact that i live in rancho cordova...and that's where this incident too place...who knows...and i dunno why i freaked out...it wasn't that bad...a big pain in the butt...but not to bad...the judges seemed really cool...lots of neat people...all in all it was an interesting experience..
as some of you know, i have anxiety...and i also worry big time which isn't good for that...well on my trip to the court house, i had a crazy anxiety attack...i could breathe...things were closing in...i was sweating all over...but i didn't freak...i just told myself that everything would be alright...and i too deep breaths to calm myself...and yeah...i was able to make it...i wanted to get off so bad and i was almost going to but i was only a couple of stops away when i felt better so i stayed on....
i get there...i find out that my number doesn't mean anything...they basically put your name on a random list and that's it...until they call your name, you just sit...so i sat there....i sat for about 2 hours...hoping that my name doesn't get called for assignment...then it does...so i get called to a case...it was an attempted murder case...as the judge was going through the stuff about it and about how to be on a jury, he lets everyone know how long it's projected to last...3 to 4 weeks...i was like O_O...yeah i couldn't do that...i would lose a pay check and not be able to pay rent...then the judge asked everyone if this would pose a hardship and when he came to me, i told him that it would and he dismissed me...that made me so happy...
so i go down to the waiting room...even though i was dismissed from the case, i had to get thrown back into the pool...so i sit and wait some more...earlier that day they said that if we didn't have our name called by about 4:30, we're out of there...it was soooo close...about 3:45 and i get called again...i was like -_-...so i go...i get up there and pretty much just had an intro as to what was all gonna happen and then we were all dismissed for the day...so i go down to the room again cause i was thinking that we needed to check out for the day...but that was not the case and the girl at the front counter gave me the "you're an idiot" face...and told me to come back tomorrow....
so i'm on my second day...the train ride was ok...no anxiety attacks..hah...i get there and things are going ok...the judge tells how long the trial will last and it was gonna be a couple of days...i was cool with that so i didn't try to get out of it...so we go through all the stuff...and start working on the whole jury thing...basically we start with 12 potential jurors...and as the judge goes through everything, he asks if any of it will be a problem for them and who ever has a problems says they do or forever hold their peace...there was one guy...he was sooo annoyed with the whole jury duty thing...so when the judge asked if anyone knew of any reason that they would not be able to give a fair and just trial, he responded with the idea that you know if someone doesn't want to be there, they're gonna go with whatever is gonna get them out asap...and this guy was really hard headed and not afraid of anything and was totally pushing the judges buttons with that idea...it even got to the point where the judge threatened to arrest him...first time ever doing jury duty and i get to see the judge explode...it was awesome...hahaha...then we go to lunch...
i come back and get get back to business...a girl was a little late and sat outside for a half hour...then came in and the judge had a fit...and told her that if it was in the morning, he would have put out a warrant for her arrest...then he dismissed her after giving her a lecture and stuff...that was somewhat scary...after that they go through more of the jury selection process...(which btw this trial was about a guy who had sexual relations in public and was caught...heh)...going through those 12 jurors and weeding out ones that aren't going to work...things were going ok...i just had to make it without them calling me...then as the third juror was dismissed, i hear my name...
i go up there all smiling...they had each juror tell a little about themselves and ask if any of the questions previously asked would cause you to not give a fair and just trial...so i start answering the intro questions and me being all nervous, it totally didn't come out smoothly...but i was fine with all the other questions and would give the fairest of trials...after i answered those the judge asked to talk with the attorneys...they talked for awhile and then it was time for them to ask me some questions...being that i was a replacement and they had already asked the other jurors questions, they focused all their attention on me...the defense attorney asked me questions he seemed fine with having me on...then the other one asked me some and he too seemed fine...i was like -_- thinking that i was gonna be on it...the judged asked if they wanted to remove me/other people and it seemed like they didn't want to...then the prosecutor was like id like to remove juror #7...mr nelson you're dismissed...i get up and start walking out and the judge was like wait...i think he was making sure it was the right guy...and then was like...yeah you're dismissed...so i left...with the biggest smile on my face...HAHAHAH!!!!...
i go downstairs to see if i have to be thrown back into the pool or if i can go home...i got the same girl as before and she gave me the same face...but yeah...i didn't have to stay...so i left ^_^....i was sooooooooo happy..
i think they knew i was shy...and one of the guys asked if anyone was really shy cause they might be pushed into voting one way by some of the other jurors...and wouldn't be able to give a fair trial...he may have seen that...or it might be he didn't like how i looked...or maybe it was the fact that i live in rancho cordova...and that's where this incident too place...who knows...and i dunno why i freaked out...it wasn't that bad...a big pain in the butt...but not to bad...the judges seemed really cool...lots of neat people...all in all it was an interesting experience..