YOU ARE HEREBY SUMMONED AND COMMANDED TO LAY ALL OTHER BUSINESS ASIDE AND MAKE YOURSELF AVAILABLE TO THE COURTS FOR THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 6, 2011 TO SERVE AS A TRIAL JUROR.

These are the words that greeted me in my mail just before we left for vacation.

This is only the second time in 32 registered voter years that I have received a jury summons.

I was always disappointed to hear that someone else had received the call.  I began to feel as if there was something objectionable about me.  What’s wrong that I can’t sit among a jury of my peers?  I can be very judgmental.  Ask Briggs Meyers.

Most people can’t wait to get out of this civic duty, me?  I am raring to go.

The first time I was called I was absolutely giddy with excitement.  Bashert laughed at my eagerness. But I was so proud to finally serve.

When I was actually picked to be reviewed for the first jury, I was beside myself.  I so wanted to text Bashert to let her know that I was going to see some action.  Here I was serving out my first jury summons and I was about to be selected for the first trial.  Ho-ho, hot stuff was I.

Fifteen minutes later I was out the door, excused from the case and fully deflated.

I was picked and then just tossed away like a bruised apple.

It was a drunk driving case.  I’m not sure if it was because I had a daughter the same age of the accused or because I don’t drink or because I just happened to know the court reporter.

That night I dutifully phoned in to see if I was to show up again the next day.  My hopes were crushed by the recorded voice telling me that all trials had been postponed until the next court session.

My one chance at serving my civic duty and I ended up on the short end of the court calendar.

Maybe I have underlying fantasies of being Judge Roy Bean or maybe I’m just a geek, but my enthusiasm has not been completely quelled.

Come September 6th, I will be bright eyed, bushy tailed and ready.  Let’s get this jury started.

Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers
~Voltaire