Friday, October 3, 2008

Jury Duty

A couple of weeks ago, I was the lucky winner of a subpoena for jury duty. Jealous? They pay you enough to cover your lunch. Gas is on your own. You are instructed to report to the courthouse at 8:45 a.m. for the cattle call, I mean, jury selection. There are no further instructions. Sixty people show up in various states of dress (NOT UNdress) and wander around with that "deer in the headlights" look about them. I'm a reasonably stable person, but I felt as if the men in the little white coats were going to show up at any moment to carry us away!

Keep in mind that I have never won the first door prize at a Tupperware Party, but you can bet your sweet bippy that I was going to be one of the 20 people whose names were drawn out of the hat to be part of the actual jury. Yessiree, #17. That's me! I was still hoping that I would be one of the 8 who were eliminated by the attorneys. No such luck. I was in it for the long haul.
The good thing about this whole experience was that I was able to spend the entire day in and around this beautiful, historic courthouse. Like most everything else in the county, the courthouse is far removed from civilization. The county is about 60 miles long and 10 miles wide, and the courthouse is located near the center. This is an older photo, so you'll just have to use your imagination to see the leaves starting to turn on the trees.
The next picture shows the addition which was completed several years ago. Inside, it has all of the bells and whistles; however, it just lacks the charm of the original building. The only time we went over to the new building was when we were permitted to go to the bathroom. You really have to appreciate indoor plumbing.....especially after a cup of coffee and a Diet Coke.

The historic marker tells you a bit more about my beloved county. On my trip down Route 14 yesterday morning, I took my time and enjoyed the beauty of the changing season. The fields are changing from green to golden, the leaves are beginning to turn red and orange, and the air is a little more crisp. Maybe Fall isn't so bad after all.....

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

18 comments:

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Glad to hear nothing worse was wrong. I've never been "fortunate" enough for jury duty.

I must have been picking up your courthouse vibes,though. Yesterday I was in Mathews C.H. taking pictures of our old court green, which has way more charm than our new courthouse right down the road.

Glad everything is OK, and enjoy this crisp fall weather.

Bella Della said...

So, now I know where you are :) Lucky girl, jury duty. Hope you have a great weekend!

Unknown said...

Your court experience has to be more fun from your end then from the other one. We all have reasons to be grateful! I am glad to see your wonderful sense of humor back. I missed and worried about you. Have a great weekend as well.

Yes, Buckroe Beach had an amusement park as well...The amusement park and adjacent public beach were popular destinations for social outings in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. Although the amusement park closed and was torn down in the 1980s, the famous carousel was preserved and relocated to the waterfront area of nearby downtown Hampton, where it is a popular attraction.

I remember that one as well. They didn't blow that one up though.

Chesapeake Bay Woman said...

Hair - I knew it! I could just sense I was in your neck of the woods as I drove down Howerton (a road I have never been down prior to yesterday). Next time I'll know. We play them in basketball too, so I'll be making several trips over there this winter.

I loved some of those old stores/gas stations lining that road. I almost pulled off and took a picture of the one that has the old Dodge next to it, but my kids were half starved and would have committed mutiny.

Mental P Mama said...

You Virginia girls get to have all the fun.

Caution/Lisa said...

I had jury duty this summer. After being "trained" for half of a day, we were sent home. I felt a little let-down, but then I thought about how I can't decide what to order at McDonald's and I knew I should never be on a jury.

Anonymous said...

#17!! I will refer to you as such from here on out. lol

I haven't had the pleasure of being "a number"... but if I do, I want a big juicey case. :)

Have a great day!

Unknown said...

Glad to hear you are ok. Did you wear your helmet to the courthouse?

I love jury duty. I haven't served in several years...and I miss it.

I agree about the different stages of dress that are beckoned. I love the excuses some make to get off. As a gov worker, we got paid regardless, so we didn't have an excuse, and I never used one when I worked in private sector.

I keep thinking Texas will beckon me to serve since I just registered my car, got a new license and registered to vote. Those usually raise a flag in the courthouse that there is new blood in the pool. I want to serve me some Texas justice :))

I Am Woody said...

I've only had jury duty once. But wasn't selected - something about my intense dislike for our local hospital which was being sued for wrongful death.

It's always good to slow down and just drink in the beauty!!

nikkicrumpet said...

FRY EM...FRY EM. I always wanted to be on a jury so I could say that....hmmmm I wonder why I always get de-selected? At least your surroundings were pretty!

Barking Mad! said...

I have yet to be called and I'd love to keep it that way. Of course, now that I've said that...

Glad to hear all is well and that you are enjoying Autumn. This time of year, and in particular the month of October is my favourite time of year.

Auds at Barking Mad

Unknown said...

Beautiful Courthouse. I knew we'd win you over to the ranks of fall lovers!

Tami Wyatt said...

I LOVE jury duty. I've been through the ordeal 4 times but I've only been chosen for a jury once. I was the jury foreman and the trial was for attempted murder. It was very exciting to see the wheels of justice in motion and I want to do it again.

Lindsay said...

Oh, I know all about that kind of luck! Called three times in eighteen months, and my number came up all three times! (I've never won so much as a penny at lotto, though!)

Fortunately for me, having been a lawyer in my past life, all I have to do is mention that, and the lawyers are falling all over themselves to challenge me. I'm kind of sad, because I'd really like to sit on a jury, but I know that if I were the lawyer (and not the prospective juror), I'd want to know. I wouldn't want a former lawyer to sit on my jury, either!

Hope the trial is fast and interesting (since you have to be there anyway!).

Enjoy your weekend!

The Good Eater said...

I had jury duty once, but since I was working in the county jail at that time they just told me to go on back to work. I didn't even get a full day off from work.

(Sometimes!) Serendipitous Girl said...

So pretty! Portland's courthouse looks like a big cinder block. Were there any cute attorneys at least?

HalfAsstic.com said...

Ah, Jury duty. Fun, fun, fun. It's been years for me. I guess that means my time is coming around.
John did it last year, but was cut right after the first round of picks. When asked if he thought a person was innocent until proven guilty I believe he said something like, "Hang the bastard!". I could be wrong...

Anonymous said...

Apologies, Big Hair Envy, the post by The Girl is my alter ego (my Very Spoiled Dog has his own blog). Lately, I've been having issues with remembering to check who's account I'm commenting with!