Today, I reported to my county courthouse for jury duty - FOR THE FIFTH TIME!
As a close look at my bio data will show, I'm 42 and in Michigan you become eligible to serve on a jury beginning at 18, which means that I've served 5 times in only 24 years. I feel I've done my civic duty AND THEN SOME! My Dad is 71 and hasn't been summoned ONCE! LUCKY ME!
Some observations:
GOOD NEWS - The American judicial system is STILL working!
BAD NEWS - It's slower than HELL!
I sat patiently for 8 and a half hours and watched the prosecutor and the defense attorney kick over 50 percent of the the hundred or so potential jurors for cause and pre-emptives. It may LOOK fascinating on "Law And Order" but it's the most boring thing I've done in a LONG time. To hear the SAME questions asked and watch people walk OVER and OVER again is NOT a fun day off activity!
This is NOT to say that I hate the Jury system or object to the American constitutional right to a trial by a jury of your peers - I FIRMLY believe it's a civic duty to aide in our Democracy but I STILL hope I'm not getting summoned again for MANY, MANY years!
When reading USA Today is entertaining, you KNOW that you're doing something less than fun!
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