Donna in Hollywoodland

Jury Service

Today was my opportunity to do my Civic Duty and serve on Jury Service.
I'm usually one of those people who feel they should serve when called.
My friends would say "I know how you can get out of it. Here's how ..."
And I would say "No, No, No - you need to go, this is part of your duty as a citizen!"

But by the time my jury service was all over - I was wishing I had listened to my friends.
What a stressful ordeal !

First, I have already been postponed more times than is legally allowed.
I postponed it in the beginning myself. Then my breast surgeon postponed it back in August right before my lumpectomy surgery.
Then when I started the Radiation Treatments, I just called them up and talked to them on the phone, explaining the I knew it was more postponements than allowed - but I was starting Radiation. They didn't question it, they just went ahead
and postponed me one more time.

So after all that, I was really looking forward to going.

I had to call in on Monday, and they didn't need me. When I called in on the service again, they told me to report on Wednesday at 7:30 in the morning.
7:30 in the morning !!!!
Good heavens.

So I look at Mapquest, and I manage to make it to Downtown Los Angeles at a good time.
I hate all those one way streets that you have to navigate around.
I found the Courthouse where I needed to be.
There is a free parking lot for Jurors. How to get there ? Where was it ?
I drove around and around.
I pulled into the wrong parking lot. The guy had me write my juror ID # on the ticket when I pulled right back out.
Then I got stuck going down Grand, and there was no left turn street. I was on First Street. But in order to turn around and go back to where I need to be to look for the parking lot - I ended up all the way on Sixth Street !
Every other street was one way going in the wrong direction !

I finally found the parking lot. 45 minutes I had been looking for it.
In spite of getting into Downtown LA on time - I was now 45 minutes late.

I go running down the stairs of the parking lot. Ready to dash across the street.
A tall blond lady stops me
"Are you are Juror?" she asks.
"Yes, and I am really late. I need to go." I say
She starts asking questions and chatting, and I am hurrying as fast as I can.
I am trying to be nice, but I am late. And she is following me while chatting about Jury Service.
Finally I say I am heading to the Courthouse on First Street.
She pulls out her Juror information card. There is a completely different address on it.
"Do you know where this address is?" She asks
"No, I don't - and I am really late. Ask the parking lot attendant." I reply and dash off.

I go through the security check point. (Oh, gee, more Radiation ha ha ha.)
Rushing as fast as I can to the second floor Jury Assembly room.
I am now a full hour late.

And guess what ? They must tell you to get there at 7:30 in the morning because they know alot of people are going to be late.
The room is filled with people who are filling out their Jury cards, reading and drinking coffee.
There is nothing important going on.
I'm not in trouble for being an hour late.

I have plenty of time to fill out my paperwork, get a relatively comfortable looking seat, and grab a cup of coffee.
I am seating right in between two men each about 10 years younger than me. Both are reading.
And the one on my left has a hacking cough.
Oh, no - should I move ? I look around to a see if I spot any other available seats that appear somewhat comfortable.
No, alot of them don't seem to have good enough cushioning.
And I am going to be sitting here a long time.
So I will deal with the guy with the hacking cough.
Risk catching a cold, so I am comfortable the rest of the day.

The day is very slow.
First we go through basic instructions.
Very important: There are two Starbucks in the Courthouse. And a regular coffee place right next to the Jury Assembly Room.
Also important : Restaurant Guide posted on the bulletin board.
Very Comforting: There is only one day of Jury Service in Los Angeles. If we don't get called on Panel today, we will be dismissed.
If we get on a Panel, then its up to the Judge.

I leave my books and things in my seat, and I go to look at the Bulletin Board. The nearby restaurants are listed.
But the Museum of Contemporary Art will let you in for free on your lunch break if you are wearing your Jury Badge.
I make a note of this, because it sounds like it could be a plan.

I sit there all day reading.
Mr Hacking-Cough gets selected on the first Jury Panel that they call.
He is gone, thankfully.
For every Jury Panel they call, the remaining Jurors adjust their seating to make more room for themselves.

I decide to try the Ninth Floor Cafeteria for lunch.
What I ate was definitely not on any anti-cancer diet that I know of.
I consider reconstituted food somewhat Fun Food.
I never eat it normally. And I while I was eating my lunch, I was kind of laughing at the food.
The main dish was a Beef Stew and I believe the carrots were actually real carrots.
The corn was from a huge industrial sized can. It was obvious.
And the mashed potatoes were completely "freeze dried, add water". They were giving me the biggest giggle.

I sat in the courtyard of the courthouse, near the fountain.
Okay I took like 50 digital pictures of the fountain. I will post them sometime in the future. Not all 50.
I just didn't feel like hiking all over downtown LA.
I walked around the fountain instead.

Then back through the Xray machines, and back to the Jury Selection Room.
Oh, no - they called my name for a panel.
Up I went to the 7th Floor.

It was not good. The case would most definitely go well beyond the 10 days that my company pays me for Jury Service.
Most likely 20 days.
They were not going to meet every day of the week. 3 days one week, 2 days another week. The 20 days were going to be spread out over a good length of time.

After the Judge explained this, he said "Who can definitely serve for this length of time ? Stand up."
About 10 people stood up.
"Okay, you are dismissed today. Come back Friday at 10 am for Jury Selection."

After they had left, the Judge said "Everyone who is left. We are giving you a paper and a pen. Write down your name, Juror ID #, and why you do not think you can serve on this jury."

I wrote about my 10 day time frame for payment from my company. And that I absolutely could not go without being paid.
The judge and the attorneys took all the papers and read them in another room.

When they came back, the judge picked up a small bunch of papers and read off the names.
"Okay all the people whose names I just called, you are excused."

The rest of us sat there. And the judge went through each one of our papers with us.
When he got to me he said "Go to the Human Resource Department at your company, and ask them if I give them a letter that states you must serve on this jury - will they pay you for more than 10 days with a letter from me."

There were other people in the Jury Pool that had way more dire circumstances than me.
But we all got the same story.
Get more information for the Judge, and then come back on Friday at 10 am.