some say that it is triggered by registering to vote. others claim that a renewed driver’s license will draw attention. the system claims randomness, though this randomness is dictated by a computer and computers always follow a pattern, even when selecting seemingly random numbers. regardless of the mechanics, i’ve been called up and might be selected.
after parking in the shadow of turner field, a shuttle bus shows up to take us over to the courthouse. i could walk, but i decided to take advantage of one of the few amenities of the day. we’re met by a line leading to a bank of metal detectors. signs are tacked around the lobby stating that handguns, knives and mace will not be allowed in the courthouse, and that is probably a good idea. then we are filed down the hall and up the elevator to the seventh floor, where we find another long line of people who have come before us. the newspaper man sits in a chair about halfway up the row, doing a brisk business as everyone begins to realize just how long we might all be here. in another stroke of commercial genius, a seattle’s best coffee stand sits right at the far end of the line, just after we sign in and get our official juror badge. and then we go sit in an area that closely resembles every single gate at hartfield international airport, only without the giant plate glass windows, the accompanying sunlight and the anticipation of maybe going somewhere fun. the entertainment? a brief video on due process hosted by a local news anchor, brenda wood. strangely enough, a look around at my fellow summonees does reveal a certain sense of diversity. people of all different walks of life are in the juror “holding pen” – different races, various nationalities, collars both white and blue. but one thing is certain: none of us want to be here.
i’ve not been selected. i’ve not been dismissed. i am in the limbo of voir dire, currently on a lunch break. a blessedly long one. and either i will return to endure just another day or so of attorney questioning, or a possible two weeks of actual trial. i’m wondering if it would help my situation to come back to court with my clothes on backwards and the cat sitting on my head … or would they even notice?
