Sunday, November 06, 2005

Jury Duty!!


Jury Duty!!
Originally uploaded by grannybabs.
I got a summons for jury duty a few weeks ago. I contemplated postponing it until summer - but they only let you postpone for 3 months - and I didn't want to do Christmas vacation - although I suspect that when you call in each night they probably say they don't need you the next day - I mean, who schedules trials at Christmas?

So I bit the bullet and called in to register and get my number!! Day one was October 31st, Halloween Day - a scary thought! Since we left on the Thursday before to go to SLC, I not only had to make sub plans for Friday, but for Monday too, in case when I called Sunday night, they told me I had to report.

Called Sunday night - do not report. Called Monday night - after leaving sub plans at school, because you can't call until after 7 p.m. - and they said, do not report. Ditto for Tuesday and Wednesday.

On Thursday afternoon, I figure I'd better leave sub plans for Monday too, in case I'm called in on Friday. The instructions say that if you are called on Thursday or Friday, you need to plan on possibly having to serve the following week. "Plan your schedule accordingly" they say!

Then Thursday night I call - everyone at work said, No one will tell you to report on Friday!!

Wrong! I get the word to report at 8:30 a.m. SHARP!! Fortunately it was to El Monte - not a long drive.

So I reported - and since I worry about finding unfamiliar places, I got there 30 minutes early!! Fortunately I had a good book to read. And I did read - for over an hour until they did the "new juror orientation."

Then we waited some more - and some more - and then the judge came in and thanked us for being willing to serve - but he was sorry they didn't need us! And it was only 10:15 a.m. So I went over and visited Grandma Terrill and Susanne.

2 1/2 years ago I had a jury summons too - and went and waited - and didn't have a good book with me. Fortunately it was in Pasadena - so when they gave us a 2 hour lunch, I went to the Paseo. Window shopping is a good way to pass the time. After lunch, we waited some more and at 2 p.m. they came in and dismissed us.

Maybe one of these times I will serve on an interesting jury - Harry enjoyed his jury duty experience on an attempted murder charge. I'm just happy to have my certificate that lets me off for the next 18 months!

And I have enough sub plans on file to go on a nice trip somewhere!!

10 comments:

hanner said...

Hey Mom, turns out some friends of mine know the Powells. I think that they might be in my friend Genna's home ward. Weird, because they just happened to mention to my friend Gabe that they used to live in Monrovia, and then he played the "do you know" game... are they the ones that have Sunday dinners? I can't keep anyone straight.

grannybabs said...

The Powells of Provo have Sunday dinners - at least that is what I learned from Phoebe - I thought.

Phoebe said...

I have no recollection of Sunday dinners with the Powell's. However, he was in our Stake Presidency and we saw him often. Very nice man.

Eliza said...

Probably learned it from me--I went there for dinner once. It was completely random. It was my junior year, maybe....They looked up my phone number in the phone book or something like that (maybe Babs gave it to them, but I don't know) and called and invited me to dinner. I had no clue who they were, but they knew Mom and Dad so I said, "Okay!"

I didn't have a car, so they sent someone to pick me up.

When I got there, there were about 25 other people there eating. It was a party. They do (did) that every week.

Hannah, I'll bet if you called them, they'd send somebody to pick you up. haha. No kidding! That's the feeling I got when I was there. They were very welcoming and nice. And their daughter told me stories about Bonny.

bonny with a Y said...

hey cody called me about a year ago - it was fun to chat.

didn't eliza have dinner w/ the powells and one of of my old institute girls was there?

good luck with future jury duties. I loved when i served - we still have our jury photo.

HPT said...

My recollection is that the Powells were are Eliza and Matt's SLC reception.

Betsy said...

Nate had jury duty a couple of years ago. It was a capital murder case. Not a very nice one. BUt after the first day, the girl settled when she realized she had no chance.

I got called to jury duty in Taylor (small town stuff) and forgot to go or send in the reason I couldn't. Apparently, so did 32 of the 40 others called. So When I realized it I went to talk to the judge because you can be fined like $500 for not showing and I just was stupid and forgot. I'm glad that I went. The judge said that he was holding everyone who didn't show up in contempt of court and because I showed up on my (with Isaac, my reason for not being able to go, in tow) I was let off with a "don't do it again." I wonder what really happened to the other 32?

Eliza said...

Powells were at our reception, I believe.

I got a summons for jury duty once, long ago. I was living in Utah (it was a CA summons) and did nothing. I haven't gotten in trouble yet, at least that I know of. Hopefully.

I do need to change my driver's license so that the CA people don't think I still live there. After all I am registered to vote in UT and my last name hasn't been Terrill for a few years. haha. But I'm waiting until after I go to traffic school, since my ticket was made out to E. Terrill.

I kinda like the thought, though, of having lived in a place for five years and never having gotten my license changed. haha. Oh well.

D. Scott said...

12 years ago I was the foreman on a murder trial in Stockton. No fun.
You did learn the key lesson however Barb, never leave home without a book!

Karen said...

I have only been summoned to jury duty twice. 1st time I was 8 1/2 months pregnant, and after the first day I was told not to come back. 2nd time was last year, I was supposed to report the day the movers were coming. I had to prove I was moving far away to get out of it. (Copy of papers signed for new house!)