Today is my day off, and I spent a portion of it going to jury duty. This is my first time that I couldn’t claim an exemption from going, and although I know I could have just skipped it and probably wouldn’t have ever seen the consequences, that’s just not the type of person I am. Also, I thought it would be an experience. My father-in-law sat on a murder trial once – not that I would want to have THAT kind of experience, but still.

Anyway, I was very impressed with the whole process. I arrived and sat in a comfortable assembly hall and read for a short while before they began announcing the panels. I was in the first one they announced, one of 36 potential jurors. We were herded to a different room and accounted for by the bailiff, then walked three blocks to the new civil courthouse. Our tax money was at work in that building; it is very nice. We were given a number (I was 24) and lined up in order, then entered the courtroom and sat down to face the judge and two attorneys. I was kind of nervous, kind of interested, but still didn’t want to be picked.

As soon as we sat down, the judge told us that we wouldn’t get to hear the very interesting story the two lawyers had prepared, because they had reached an agreement before our arrival. The good news was, we got to leave. Part of me felt let down, but mostly I was happy because that left more time for me to play Mario Galaxy. (Which is what I had spent my morning doing, and what I will return to doing in just a few minutes!)

Anyway, including commute the whole ordeal was less than three hours – not bad. I have done my civic duty and am feeling very patriotic, and now I need to collect some stars and try to save the princess.