A Jury of Our Peers: Part 2

I arrived for jury duty and headed straight to Ambee Coffee to get tea and an orange-cranberry gluten-free muffin.  If I’m going to sit around waiting all day, then I definitely need sweet sustenance.  On my way out the door, I picked up a free copy of Edible New Jersey, a fun foodie magazine that will help me relax throughout the day.  My phone beeped, and I looked at the text message from my school’s administrative assistant:  “Are you at or in jury duty?” was the question.  My response: “I am at jury duty and will know later today if I’m selected to sit on a jury.”  She liked my reply.

I then walked across the street to the courthouse and stood on line to get myself and my pocketbook scanned.  Everyone was polite and helpful as I was directed to the jury assembly room, which is housed in a converted church so stained-glass windows illuminate all four walls.  I wonder about the history of this church and how the county court complex was able to make the church part of its structure.  Isn’t there separation of church and state?  Although, I know some churches have been made into bars and restaurants, so there’s no reason when it comes to these things I suppose. I’m Christian, so having Jesus cast his gaze upon me is comforting. I’m not sure how other citizens find this to be.  Reading the room, it seems  that no one notices.  Most have their heads down looking at cell phones.  Some are reading books.  Out of a hundred or more people.  I am the only one writing.  I take pride in that.

An hour has passed.  My leg has fallen asleep.  I shift in my chair.  Seven more hours to go.  Exercising my civic duty is not as exciting as I thought it would be.  Mostly, it is waiting and trying to keep myself entertained.  I purposefully did not bring my laptop, and I’m trying not to engage my phone.  I want this day to be more reflective and in the moment.  I spend too many days rushing around from one task to the next.  Today, I have an opportunity to stop and reflect.  If we are to be judged by a jury of our peers, then I would say this room is racially and ethnically diverse.  However, we are not diverse in age.  I think 85% of us are Baby Boomers.  I’m not sure why this is, but probably Boomers have more time to serve, and younger citizens might be able to get off due to work and family concerns.

About an hour and half after checking in, a spokeswoman gets our attention and goes over rules and schedule for the day.  Then she has us stand up and swears us in as jurors.  I raise my right hand and swear to uphold the constitution of the United States of the state of New Jersey.  I am told that I am an important part of the judicial process.  I feel special for a moment.  Now, back to waiting.

We are shown a short video about explicit and implicit biases and how impartiality is a crucial trait of a juror.  I am very familiar with this content of this video.  As an educator, I have had basic training many times over the years.  As I watch the video, I wonder if I have any implicit biases.  I know I do – but I think I can recognize them and be fair and impartial.  My whole life as a teacher has been to be fair and impartial.  I think I have done a pretty good job in that department.  I actually enjoy learning and understanding the differences in people.  I know that I have been surprised by people, and I go by the motto:  “Never judge a book by its cover.”  I try to reserve judgement and allow people to show me their character.  Of course, I’m not perfect, but I think I’d be a good juror in most cases.

I sit and sit and wait and wait.  Finally, I got up and got some coffee.  The spokeswoman put on Animal planet and people resumed with heads down to their cell phones.  I repress my urge to check my email.  Everyone at work knows where I am.  I cannot help anyone there today, maybe all week.  I need to breathe and learn to wait patiently.  It’s not a bad reminder during this winter holiday season.  I can wait.  I can put school on hold.  I can just sit and watch the stained-glass window change in brightness.  Right now, Jesus’s crown is gleaming.  I continue to wait until I’m called to the courtroom.  There are two judges today and if one releases me, I will have to come back to this sacred space to be called by the other judge.  I have a feeling that I will be sitting on a jury by the end of the day.  This is such a slow process. I’m not sure how it can be improved but it seems labor and time consuming.  But if we value justice, then it’s a small price to pay.

Finally, it’s lunchtime, and we are free to go out into the Main Street of Somerville.  I have already planned to take myself for a lunch treat to Turf, Surf, and Earth.  I read about their natural whole food concept and wanted to give it a try, since I have Celiac and need to eat gluten free.  It has started to rain, so I almost talk myself out of walking two blocks to the restaurant.  My inner voice admonishes me, “Don’t be such an old lady! A walk in the rain will be good for you.” So, I listen to inner voice and am pleasantly surprised.  The restaurant is warm, cozy, and inviting.  The food looks wonderful, and I choose falafel, brown rice, greens, mushrooms, and Swiss cheese.  It is delicious and made all that jury waiting not so bad after all.

I walk back in the rain well satiated.  I settle back in my seat and waited.  And wait. And wait.  At 2:30, the spokeswoman returns to the podium and reads off the names of two  groups of potential jurors.  There are forty-four jurors in all.  My name is not called, which means I will have to wait some more. But my odds of being called to sit on a jury are diminishing.

We sit for two more hours.  I am getting more and more impatient.  I text my husband, I start to pace, and I stretch near a corner wall. Then I decide I need to  make a friend.  There is a woman about my age sitting near me.  We make eye contact and then start chatting.  She is a pediatric preemie nurse.  And yes – she is not exempt from jury duty, which is ridiculous!  When she tells me that they would not give her an exemption, I got my phone out and started to do some research.  Evidently, doctors and EMS workers are exempt from jury duty, but nurses are not.  That is completely unreasonable.  I am incensed and feel that this is something that has to be changed!

The next two hours go faster chatting with my new-found friend, and at 4:30, the spokeswoman announces that we are released from jury duty.  I will NOT be sitting on a jury.  I am relieved and a little disappointed at the same time. I will have to wait another three years for an opportunity to do my civic duty.