DEFERRED, NOT EXCUSED

by Bob Walsh

So I drug my dead butt to the jury assembly room on Monday, and thence to court. Turns out it was a civil trial against a large corporation by a local purchaser. They figured 3-4 weeks. I pointed out that I had a firm schedule on some dental surgery right in the middle of things. I also pointed out that I owned stock in the company and would probably be disqualified for that reason alone.

The new courthouse has as VERY NICE jury assembly room.

I was deferred until December, but not excused.

I learned a couple of things. A LOT of people do not get paid for jury duty. Also the homeless population of Stockton likes to use recessed doorways at the courthouse for latrines. Brand new building too and they seems to be real casual about cleaning the shit up.

I also learned that a lot of people pronounce their own name so badly that the clerk has to ask them three or four times to repeat themselves, and finally to spell it.