For the past two years I have been receiving letters from the state of Arkansas informing me I had been chosen for jury duty. Three times I've been able to get out of it - twice because I was in PA school and once because I was weeks away from having a baby. This time I had no excuse. I know some people feel that it is all of our civil duty to participate in jury duty. I wouldn't have minded so much had it not been for the timing. The beginning of cold and flu season is not a good time for me to take off time from work.
Anyway, I went down to Benton this past Monday night to spend the night with my parents because Mom's going to watch Colt for me. I call the hot line to make sure I am supposed to report and my name is listed. My mom's truck had broken down so we decide that Dad will drop me off so mom can use my car during the day and then she'll come pick me up when I'm done. Dad drops me off at the federal courthouse in LR and I make my way to the Jury Assembly Room - which is very nice by the way. I wait for about 30 minutes before someone comes to check us all in. For some reason my name is NOT on the list. (Yeah! I get to leave!) The clerk tells me to wait anyway and if all the jurors show up then she'll let me go - but they don't all show up. Now I have to go through the juror orientation and be possibly picked for a jury. When we get to the courtroom, the judge explains that 22 names will be called and the rest of the people can leave. MY NAME IS ONE OF THE 22! Can you believe it? And I wasn't even on the list! Now he says that he and the lawyers are going to ask us questions and based on the answers 12 of us will have to stay. Of course I have to stay. So now I've resigned myself to the fact that I'm on a trial and will be in Little Rock all week.
The trial starts, which turns out to be a boring case, and we break for lunch. We had been back in session for about an hour when I suddenly feel nauseated. I then realize that I need to be sick - NOW!!! I didn't know what to do, so I just raised my hand and looked at the judge. As soon as he saw me I said "I'm going to be sick" and took off running for the door. The court clerk lead me to the bathroom where I was as sick as could be. After I was all cleaned up the judge called me into his office to make sure I was okay. His white lab that comes with him to the office came and put her head in my lap while we talked and followed me to the door when I left! I called mom and she came and picked me up. Throughout the day I got sicker and sicker.
What's really bad is that everything that is said during a trial is recorded for public record. I couldn't believe I made such a scene but there was nothing I could do!!! How embarrassing!
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