They can't do this to Loraine!
Well, technically, “they” can,
because in this case the “they” is the Marquette County District
Court and the “this” is jury duty. That's right; my (much)
better half gets to be part of a participatory democracy for up to
three different Tuesdays in December, and I feel her pain. Those of
you who have read this for a while may recall two or three Decembers
ago when I had the exact same call to duty, except mine was for SIX
different days during the month.
I was even paid $1.89 (seriously) for
the rearranging of my entire month.
While neither Loraine or I balk at
doing our civic duty, I find it kind of funny that both of us have
gotten called to the same court for the exact same month. I'm not a
mathematician (after all, we don't want heads exploding anywhere, do
we?), but I would have to think that the odds that both members of a
couple getting jury duty during the exact same month of the year
would be, well, small. My pea brain says it should be 24 to 1; I'm
sure someone out there can calculate them much better than can I, so
feel free.
Still, it is what it is. I know when I
had to clear six days during the busiest month of the year a few
years ago I spent many a night or weekend day at the station, working
ahead in case whatever case was coming up actually went to trial.
Five out of the six days I was on jury duty the trial was called off;
on the sixth, I showed up early that morning and found out a
settlement had been reached a few hours before. Still, they did pay
me mileage—that $1.89 I previously mentioned—because I had to walk
the six blocks from my apartment to the court house.
So the month of schedule disruption
wasn't a total waste. I think I bought a bottle of Pepsi with the
money.
My hope is that Loraine calls the day
before each of her three scheduled dates, and is told that she
doesn't need to show up. That's my hope, and given the experience I
had a few years ago, that's the assumption we're working on.
Hopefully, she'll be able to slide through the month with minimal
disruptions, and then we'll both be off the hook for jury duty for
the foreseeable future.
Or until next December Whichever
comes first. Wish us luck.
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