... well, not precisely 'invitation': actually a demand as it was a Summons to Jury Duty. My presence was requested to appear at the local government center precisely at 9:a.m. on Monday, July4 2018. I told the guys at work that I had received the notice a month ago, and should plan to make my self available for the requirements of participating in the democratic process. The guy who makes the schedule was apparently far more optimistic about the whole thing than I was, because he put me on the work schedule for Monday.
I had to be at work, clock in 7:00 and leave a hour later, in order to get downtown to the government center. Park in a lot two blocks away and go through the scanning device before being admitted to the building. I took a book, and some note cards I wanted to get written to mail as I expected to waste the morning. I also had available, mentally, a variety of excuses I planned to whip out should the opportunity arise to extract myself from this environment. My plan could be compared to holding a winning hand in a card game, sitting there with my cards fanned out, trying to keep a 'poker face', pondering which card to place on the table to confound your opponent. I felt I had a number of options, and had been mulling over which might prove most effective to plead my case, thereby avoiding being impaneled and spending the week serving on a case I did not want to hear.
The clerk arrived to get our attention: it was precisely nine o'clock. It is pretty telling that we had to prove our identification by bringing a bar code that was on the printed summons for scanning. Apparently things have slowly, incrementally arrived to the point that we are living in a state where every one is issued a UPC code for identification? Scary, huh?
After everyone checked in, standing in line to be scanned like so many mindless sheep, some few were eliminated, and invited to leave. The clerk reported only one judge was working this week, and his court would be hearing a criminal case, so anyone who was retired law enforcement, or active duty military was dismissed, allowed to leave. Guess the attorneys would automatically eliminate anyone who had experience with enforcement when there was someone who had already been incarcerated trying to prove innocence.
After weeding out the ones who would not be accepted, the clerk then asked if anyone wanted to come forward with 'hardship excuses'. I jumped right up to get in that line and offer my up to the legal machine again. I reported myself as a guardian and conservator of a disabled auntie who lives in Valdosta, explaining that I could be called and needed in south Georgia on short notice. I was immediately released.
Yay! I know it was helpful that only one judge was in session for the week, and there were probably 150 people in the pool who had showed up prepared to serve if needed. I am thankful to be set free and sent on my merry way. Irony of all ironies: all this time of trying to provide the much needed assistance for my auntie, and being so frustrated, aggravated as she declines mentally. She has been so opposed to anyone doing things that help, certain she can manage independently without anyone else interfering, which gets less true with each new day. And I have been often stymied at her resistance, annoyed to the hilt. And now: I am telling the court she is my first, best reason for avoiding serving on a jury! Finally this arduous, complicated process filled with extenuating circumstances has had some benefit....
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