Seeing Our Monsters

Part Two: Jury Selection      You can't just drop a bomb on potential jurors telling them that they will be deciding whether someone lives or dies without wide reaching anxiety and apprehension.  As soon as I knew that information, I had a feeling that I would be chosen for this jury.  In my head I started to tick off the things that I knew both sides would like: advanced degrees, government worker, unlimited jury duty days, mid-30's, English speaking, law school experience, and eye contact.  These are, of course, what went through my head and may not have actually impacted the attorneys desire to have me on the jury.  Especially the eye contact factor.  I have always given unparalleled eye contact to speakers.  No brag, it is just true.  If there was an eye contact Olympics, they would ban me from it for being too good.  I follow the speaker with my eyes, nod my head in acknowledgment of understanding, and ask questions when appr...

Part One - Jury Duty      The thick white envelope that my mailbox held would be more than just a summons to miss a day of work sitting the relative comfort of the new San Bernardino jury selection office.  The county had recently built an entire new 7-8 story building and the jury room was on the first floor with comfy chairs, tables to work at, and free WiFi.  I let my employer know that I would had received a summons and informed them the night before that I had been asked to physically present myself the next morning, 9/21/15, for potential selection.  As a government employee, I was paid my regular salary to attend jury duty and submitted to just doing work remotely while I waited for my chance to get out of the trial.  No one has ever been more naive, in the history of the world, than I at that time. San Bernardino Superior Court (the gloomy weather is a nice touch) (looks pretty swell at night)      The first d...