June 20 – “Jury Duty”

I am currently serving my week of jury duty.  Of course I haven’t yet been called to be on an actual jury.  I went in Monday for that treacherous first day.  There were no parking spaces available over behind the fire station where I like to park, so I went to the lot across the street.  As I approached the building I noticed the line to enter was out the front door.  Not a good sign.  It was moving fairly quickly though.  It just takes a little time when all the men have to take off their belts and empty their pockets and all the women have to run their purses through the metal detector. 

At least the initial check-in was easy for me.  I filled in my questionnaire on line, and apparently so did most everyone else.  The few old-schoolers had to take one of those clipboards with the pen attached.  Like the kind they hand you at the doctor’s office for your “records update.”  The room was almost full when I arrived.  That meant the only open seats were right up in the front.  Kind of like at church on a Sunday morning.  I wasn’t scared, though.  I went right to the front row.  Once situated I skimmed through the little booklet they gave us.  Pretty basic stuff.  All about the qualifications for a juror (Things like you have to be able to read and understand English), and acceptable exemptions (Like if you are the sole caregiver of someone).  I started working on a crossword puzzle.  I brought along a book of them as well as a novel I haven’t started yet.  Ted Dekker’s The Sanctuary.  I was saving it to read in the van on the way to camp when I’m not driving.  I was kind of worried, because crossword puzzles usually put me to sleep, but I figured I could probably hold out since I had just woke up. 

That plan worked well until they turned out the lights.  This was new since I was last called.  They showed us a movie about being a juror.  I expected the hype about doing your duty and all, and that’s basically what the movie’s purpose was, but it wasn’t all that bad.  It had clips from numerous movies with trials in them, like To Kill a Mockingbird and that one with Jim Carey where he can’t tell a lie.  It struck our history chord with a section about the Magna Carta.  My favorite was when they mentioned how Americans AND TEXANS had fought for the right to trial by jury.  Somebody knew how to appeal to our fierce Texas-based nationalism.  We also found out that it was somewhere around 1951 before a woman was allowed to sit on a jury.  I learned a new French word: voire dire.  Don’t know how to pronounce it, but it means speak the truth.  Appropriate.  The movie also talked about juror qualifications and exemptions.  Sounded vaguely familiar.  Like something I just read.

After the movie a lady explained to us about the juror information line we were to call each night this week if we didn’t get picked, in case they needed somebody else.  She told us our pay scale ($6 first day, then $28 a day).  Briefly mentioned the dress code.  Warned us that the judge would be here any minute, so we better turn off our cell phones.  And she went over the qualifications and exemptions of a juror.  Wait.  Again?

About that time I noticed a high-pitched sound constantly whining.  I started searching for its source when the judge walked in.  That TV-like baliff voice commanded , “All rise.”  And we dutifully obeyed.  While we were up anyway, we were sworn in all at once.  Typical, “raise your right hand and say I do” kind of oath.  The judge herself was a nice lady.  She introduced herself and began to read to us … the qualifications and exemptions of a juror.  Yep.  Again.  Finally the line began to form of those who wanted to speak to her privately about why they couldn’t serve.  She let a few off.  A few others were assigned right then to a trial in Bacliff to start on Friday.  And a few were told to tough it out.  Whatever their excuse was wasn’t going to fly.  Sorry about that.

Finally the judge left and out other lady returned.  I was amazed.  She didn’t read us the qualifications and exemption of a juror.  This time she called the roll of those who would be called for a jury that day.  Everybody said the same thing, “Here.  Yes.  Present.”  I was working on some creative way to declare my presence when my name was called.  It wasn’t.  The rest of us were reminded to call the jury information line every night and follow the instructions given there.  And we were excused.  That was it.  And so far that has been it.  Haven’t been needed all week. 

Oh, I forgot to mention. Kel had some fun with this jury thing.  See, we both got the jury summons for this week.  Not a problem, right.  Well, the thing is, they didn’t include the “Jr.” on Kel’s name, so for all intents and purposes, they had two Kelley Vaughan’s in the mix.  Kel asked the lady how we were supposed to know which one of us was being asked to come if they said our name on the jury information line.  Really threw them for a loop.  They finally gave him a “special” number to call.  That’s my first born.  Always did demand some special treatment.  But every night around 5:30 I have received a text that we are not needed.  It’s great to have connections.

Psalms 96:4 says, “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; he is to be feared above all gods.”

Father, thank you for our justice system.  So far the best human kind I have run across.  Of course I prefer the way you do it.  Lots of mercy there.  Amen.