I've been called for jury duty twice. Once was in NC, and I would have been on the jury for a one day trial, but the presiding judge had car trouble, so they dismissed us.

Other time was in MD. It was a big murder trial, so they had a large jury pool. It took two full days to select a jury, and I was an alternate who wasn't needed. Good thing, because they said the trial would take weeks, and I ended up having to use vacation time for the time I was on jury duty. (I was working for a very small company, so I guess they could get away with that.) That was 14-15 years ago. I'm surprised I haven't been called since.

I've only been called up for jury duty once, and I didn't get picked out of voir dire. Maybe it's because I've moved so often, but I've been here four years, and I was at my previous address for five years. Not that I mind. I don't want to be on a jury.

Much ~ma to you and your family, Trudy.

And Amy, yeeps! I'm sorry to hear that work has so quickly become one of those "at least it's a job" kind of jobs.

The thing I posted and then quickly deleted earlier was this dialogue, just after petitioner's lawyer had made his closing statement:

Judge: So, we just heard our first closing argument, and it was nice and short. It's just a little after 11:30 now, so if respondent's counsel is ready maybe we can hear your closing argument and even have time for petitioner's rebuttal if he keeps it brief. Then we can break for lunch and when we reconvene, the jury can go right into deliberations. That seems like the best use of everyone's time, with which you've all been so generous. How do both counsel feel about that?

Petitioner's Attorney: Yes, absolutely, that sounds like a great timeline.

Respondent's Attorney: Actually, I have a PowerPoint presentation, so I need some extra time to set that up.

Jury: ...

Judge: ... Right. So, I guess, we take a two-hour lunch break. See you at 1:30!

And, oh, it was awful. Classically poorly-designed, multifonted, cheesy stock-photo'd, completely unnecessary, mockable except for the deadly serious subject matter (which made the cheesy stock photos even worse). That poor lawyer, that poor kid. It was ghastly.

And that poor man. Just exactly my age, looked easily a decade older, and so determined and already defeated. And it was obvious how much his doctors genuinely liked him and wanted him to be doing better than he was; he just really, genuinely wasn't.

Also, it sounds like we need to introduce shrift to Amy's employers.

Too bad Amy still needs the job.

Consequence of a small population, I think. Fort Smith may be the second-largest city in Arkansas, but it still has only about 85,000 people total, only about 125,000 in the whole county.

Yet here in Craighead County I was only on the hook for about three weeks last time I was called (and never actually got placed on a jury), and our population is about 3/4 of that in both respects.

Trudy, I hope everything works out. How scary!

Amy, that truly sucks. I hope something way better comes your way soon.

Not for nothing, though, shrift's employer has sometimes blocked searches at our office because it detects ... robots? Something?

If the local color from first season of Grimm is anything to go by, Portland is an awesome place to live...

yes. yes. and no, it's no an accurater representation of police behaviour in our fine city. Their mangling of our 10-codes has made me cringe more than once.

Too bad Amy still needs the job.

There is that. Maybe later though?