Jury Duty Resolved At Last!

Ok, so I reported for jury, as is my civic duty. I sat in the chairs with all the other people waiting for my name to be called. First we watched a really bad movie about what it means to be a juror. It was so dumbed down it was insulting even to the stupid people. After the movie ended we waited a while longer until names started to be called. It took a while for mine, but finally it was read and I followed the crowd into the elevator to the sixth floor to the jury room. Once in the jury room, they called roll and then explained what a hardship was. Hardship generally meant financial. One lady asked what if you had small children and the woman in charge said that that constituted a hardship. She would then hand out hardship excuse forms to those who raise their hands and mine shot up, along with most of the other people in the room. Only a small number of the people actually filled out the jury selection form. 

I forgot to mention that they also said that this case was going to run at least six weeks! I was panicked because I have my oldest boy's basketball State tournament in San Diego and a trip in a two weeks and all kinds of things not to mention I am the one who picks them up from school every day and I have no one to get them for me. All of these things are valid but I had to pick one, so I decided to go with sole provider of child care for my three kids.

As the forms were given to the second lady to read out whether each person was excused, excused from just this case and assigned to a shorter one and sent back downstairs or excused for completely I sat with my fingers crossed. She read out name after name and people continued to leave the room. I was nearly the last person left. I knew at least one other person said they took care of young children and was excused from service because I saw who asked about it and she was told she was excused for a year. I could not figure out what happened to my paper. Finally the lady called my name...the last paper...she walks over to me and tells me that I next time when I receive the summons I should turn the paper over and check the box indicating that I take care of dependents. She said had I done that I would not have had to come down there at all!

If only I had known. I thought you had to be breast feeding to make that one work! 

I thanked her and assured her I would be doing that next year as my kids are still young.

No jury duty for me for a while!!!!