Thursday, October 4, 2018

A Nice Letter from the Judge

In today's mail there was a very nice letter from the judge, thanking me for my jury service.  I'm sure the other jurors got them as well.  I bring this up because sometimes little things mean a lot, and that letter means a lot.  That letter is a keeper.

I'm going to take her up on her offer of contacting her office with suggestions.  I want to thank her for the letter, and I want to get in touch with the prosecutor(s), to give them feedback as to why they won the case.  When we were released from service, most of us wanted to get out of there, with some sneaking down the secret stairwell that was not open to the public. 

OK, I've now said more about this than I originally intended.  I've strongly suggested that this was a criminal matter, and that a guilty verdict was returned.  Although my jury duty was an inconvenience, and I wasn't sure I wanted to be on a long trial, it was also an opportunity to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America, and it was a privilege.  It was also damned interesting. 

Would I do this again?

I would. 

However, I'm also going to admit that I'm glad that the Pima County Superior Court can't summon me for jury service for two years. 

Hopefully the federal boys won't drag me into their courtroom anytime soon.

Wednesday, October 3, 2018

Back from Hiatus

OK, I can talk now.

I've been away on jury duty these past few weeks.  Now that we have rendered a verdict, the State of Arizona, represented in Pima County Superior Court, has released me and the other jurors from service.  By state law, we are exempt from jury duty for the next two years, but that's for matters belonging to the Superior Court.

I am free to discuss this case, but I made the decision about two weeks ago that I wouldn't.  It is for reasons that I won't go into.  Maybe in five years or so I might break my silence, but I might not.

It was to say the least, an interesting experience.  I served once back in San Jose and that was for a DUI case.  This matter was something completely different.  All I'm willing to tell you is that we had a good camaraderie on the jury.  We enjoyed each other's company, but the reality is that we will never see each other again.  There will be no "reunion".

My employer didn't like it and neither did my wife.  I didn't try to get on.  I was under oath.  I played it straight down the middle.  I didn't try to get on and I didn't try to get off.  They were made aware of my prior service so many years ago.  They asked a question that had me reveal the armed robbery to them, (that was done at the judge's bench and out of hearing of the audience.)

Now it's back to the regular routine of life, which in my case, will mean on to the next crisis.  There is now an overtime situation at work.  No, my absence didn't cause it, and my presence wouldn't have prevented it.  It's frantic at the customer end as well as ours.

I don't know when my next post will be.

In all honesty, I need a vacation to the planet Vulcan, but there's a slight problem.

Zefrem Cochrane hasn't invented the warp drive yet.