Juror #10

Yesterday I said my chances of being seated on the jury were small. That was true. It's also true that chances are small if you have 10 pairs of socks in a dryer and not having a matching pair until you've found your 11th sock.

Because the chances of an event happening are small doesn't mean it won't happen.

The jury selection process is interesting. Well, dull, mostly. This is going to be a long trial so they collected a large pool of prospective jurors.

They put 12 people in the jury box and six on uncomfortable chairs in front of the jury box. They then asked all the people in the 18 seats many probing questions to try to find out whether either side thought anyone might not be a good juror for their side. They then executed their peremptory challenges, thanking and excusing potential jurors from the jury box. When someone was dismissed, the leftmost person in the row in front of the jury box took the excused person's place. When all of the front row people had been moved to the jury box and another person was thanked and excused, seven more people were called to fill the empty seats.

The seven new people were then asked questions. Fewer questions than before. Seven people were thanked and excused and they did it over and over again. Each cycle had fewer questions asked than before.

Just before lunch the second day of this long process my name was called as the person to fill the empty seat in the jury box and six others got called for the front row. The defense attorney asked my group simply whether we'd like a person like ourselves on a jury should we ever be on trial. The Deputy D.A. asked simply if anybody had anything to volunteer. They were as tired of the process as the rest of us. Or each side was satisfied with the other 11 people and that they'd take their chances with me.

I was sworn in.

After lunch they selected the alternate jurors and testimony began.

I guess that's all the jury experience you're going to hear about from me for three or four weeks.