Sunday, October 28, 2007

JURY DUTY

I don't consider 'jury duty' a duty. It's for those who are more capable than myself.
Seems the jury commissioners have sent me my 3rd questionnaire for my lifetime, and I'm a little annoyed at how they handle things.
My first jury summons was way back in the early 1980s. I went in every day to the courthouse and sat with other prospective jurors. Toward the end of the week I had this headache that nothing would touch. It was a killer head pain. I was a bit concerned but went in anyway. I got called to be interviewed for a jury that day and it was very frightening to me. The fact that I knew the person personally that was being sued didn't help matters. Each juror was asked these questions- Full name, age, address, place of employment.. and it took me till the guy next to me before I could even remember my name! I was horrified. They didn't select me.. obviously. Immediately after, I went to the woman at the desk and asked what would happen if I had a stroke during jury duty? She told me that they would remove me from a courtroom and reschedule me to make up the lost days. Pretty sick society we live in here, eh?
Anyway.. I went to see my PCP and he checked my blood pressure and found it was through the roof! He told me I'd not be serving any more and wrote a letter to the local judge who after some very long consideration, finally permanently excused me from jury duty.
Now it was some years.. maybe 6? later that I again was called for jury duty. I was really upset when they told me if I didn't serve, I'd be fined $500 and then imprisoned for 10 days.. Nice sick sick society we live in.. I told them I had the letter from the judge, but that didn't matter- their computer had my name and that meant the letter didn't exist as far as they were concerned.
I finally called one last time... their reply: "oh.. we had a computer typo and your name was on the list. We have removed it".. Not one word of I'm sorry we didn't let you know.. or whatever.
Now I have received the 3rd notice. It's not going to make me freak out like the last time.. I'm going to make a copy of the letter from the judge and just send it in. I'm tired of playing games with this bunch who should be docked in pay for not doing their job correctly.. but it won't happen.. our society is too sick to notice or care.
So how did my name get on the computer list again? I know my voter registration is where names are selected from, but when you remove a name permanently from the computer, how does it get selected again?
My next question is why not Wendell? He's never been called .. there are others in the family and lots of friends too who have never had this enlightening experience... and those who would give their eye teeth to serve.. what about those folks? I'm in a fog over this... any ideas? Why and how do they call someone whose name (according to them) is not even on their list for the last 2 times?

1 comment:

Jthemilker said...

Sounds like progressive desensitization. HA! I was called once. It was interesting and not the least bit intimidating.