esrosedotblog

COME OOOOON DOWN!!!

I was a first draft choice on the random jury draw today; the first 18 seated.

I freaked.

This has never happened.

Moral: There is a first time for everything.

I had thought that I would get up the nose of the defense by reciting my experiences with internet fraud (three phishes with one near hook which has disbarred me from PayPal) and I did get into that when asked about past experiences we might have had with internet fraud.

I said I felt burned and still had a bad taste about it.

Surprisingly, the prosecutor picked me up on it and started in on something about clearcut guilt when someone lied about a product.

He and I got into an argument.

I will spare you the details but it had to do with my unwillingness to admit that there were clear black and white cases of guilt when two parties negotiated for a product or service.

He didn't like it.

I got him into a corner over it, actually.

They went on with others.

After lunch we had the non-cause dismissals and after the people who had an impairment of some kind (hearing, attention, some shit), I was the first to go.

I assume that the prosecutor wanted people who saw things as clear cut, thumbs up or down, around guilt.

There was a preacher in front of me. He was wearing a toupé but that is beside the point. Well maybe not. When asked, he had no trouble with finding that a lie was a crime (or sin?) in all cases. Now. Is a toupé a lie?

Doesn't matter. Good for him. I hope that he enjoys his month on the panel; 29 counts of unclear exchange between an internet supplier and 29 customers. Lots of sin there.

No one else argued with either attorney about anything. Why is this? Are they intimidated?

I consider it a challenge and an obligation to be clear about my beliefs.

Anyway, here I am home early, cooking dinner as I am supposed to.

And there will be no more jury duty, ever.

In California, after age 70, all you need to do is claim a 'defect' and they will not question it. No doctors' letters or anything.

I think it is a subtle, non-discriminatory way to keep the geezers off the panels.

So be it.

From here in I am a check mark in the feeble column.

The judge laughed when I was dismissed and said he would see me next year. I didn't laugh back and say 'no way'.

Oh.

I was Juror Number Five, second row, fifth chair.