Voir Dire

I had my first experience with jury duty today, and it was pretty painless and even fun.  I'm enough of a nerd to have been really excited to be called up.

I wasn't chosen for the jury.  I'm a little disappointed, but not, if you know what I mean.  I have a lot of responsibilities here at home right now.  In a couple more years--and I'm off the rolls for the next two years--it would be really awesome.

The trial was a criminal trial, and the charge is witness tampering.  So, interesting stuff, but the part I did this morning was boring.  Fill out this questionnaire, watch this video about jury duty, wait wait wait...then get sworn in, and start answering questions.

• Do you know anyone in the courtroom?  (No)  
• Do you know anyone in the jury pool?  (Yes.  A girl I used to VT when I lived in Orem.  We were both basement dwellers, and I threw a baby shower for her before the birth of her daughter . It didn't matter that I knew her, because it wouldn't change my ability to make up my own mind.) (Not much does, to be honest.)
• A police officer will be testifying.  Can you give his testimony the same weight as any other witness?  (Yes)
• Have you or any close family member or friend ever been the victim of a crime?  Have you or any close family member or friend ever been charged with a crime?  (Yes--LaDale's house was burglarized; and No--at least not to my knowledge.)
• Do you know any police officers?  (Yes--but it was Mema and Daddy's friend that was the undersheriff in Las Vegas years ago.  But I disclosed it anyway.)

And so forth.

I was prospective juror #34 of #35, and the number of jurors needed was eight (plus one alternate).  After dismissal for cause (I know one of the witnesses, I don't think I can be impartial, I want to discuss this in chambers), each side had a certain (unknown) premptory challenges they didn't have to have cause for. They filled out a piece of paper alternately, crossing off the names of those jurors they didn't want. This part was confidential--meaning I don't have any idea if my name was crossed off or not.  (I suspect not, because I had such a high number.)

So then the court clerk asked the following people to stand, and they would constitute the jury.  Juror #1, Juror #2, Juror #6 (several in between were challenged, presumably, because their names were not called), Juror #8, etc.  The last juror called was #21, and then they had a full jury + alternate.

So I didn't even get close to being chosen, and my friend (#28) wasn't, either.  Neither were the two women I'd been chatting with--much to their relief, because the state playoffs for High School baseball are today at 4:00pm, and both women, coincidentally, had sons that were pitching for their teams.

So, all told, I was there at 8:10 and left at just before 11.  Much to Mema's relief, she won't have to watch  my munchkins all day today, and possibly tomorrow or beyond.  :)

Maybe next time I'll get to experience the whole thing, but even the small part I played was pretty cool--and very civic-ally enriching.