In the news lately, there is lots of talk about patriotism and which kind of people in our country get to wear the badge of true American patriot. Some would say Donald Trump along with his MAGA hat wearing posse, who stand erect when the national anthem is played (knowing the words optional)embody America's patriotic ideal, and some might.....disagree. But nobody can argue that when I showed up at the Durham Courthouse last week to check in for jury duty, that I wasn't serving my country in its highest capacity...and for only $12. Sure, I didn't walk into a battlefield prepared to lay down my life, but I did walk into the courtroom prepared to answer probing questions from two layers in suits in front of about 75 strangers.
I found the whole process a bit bizarre. We were prepped for the day by watching a video, receiving instructions, raising our right hand while reciting a pledge, and led into a courtroom where the defendant and plaintiff sat with their lawyers. The judge asked the room if anyone seeks to recuse themselves and a handful of people approached him to plead their case. Those denied went to sit back down...wrongly mistaken if they think whatever they told the judge was going to be kept private. If they found themselves called up in the jury box the prosecuting attorney, a personal injury lawyer, would ask them what prompted them to talk to the judge. He repeatedly reassured the potential jurors that these questions were not meant to embarrass them in any way (though I imagine the result was the same). One poor guy had to talk about the medication he was taking and how it made him go to the bathroom frequently. When I started the day, I didn't think I'd hear a lawyer asking a man he'd only just met about his bowel movements, but here we were, America's justice system at work.
We began at 10:30, took an hour and a half lunch break (ten times longer than my usual lunch "break") and at 3:30, I was still in the gallery, having watched about 20+ people sit in the jury box, only to be let go for a wide range of reasons. This case was an auto accident from 2013 and the plaintiff was suing for medical costs and pain and suffering. The defendant did not contest negligence in the accident, they just rejected the notion that the accident caused any injury. As the lawyers questioned the jurors, it became clear that she sought medical treatment not from a doctor, but from a chiropractor. Every juror had to reveal his or her thoughts on chiropractors, and it was clear that the prosecuting attorney dismissed several people based on biases they may have towards chiropractors. Of course, as more an more jurors came and went, the judge seemed to get progressively annoyed at those claiming they could not be unbiased and fair towards ANY chiropractor, and things became tense late in the afternoon. Finally, 10 jurors were seated with only two to go. Two more names were called up and I thought I was in the clear. But not so fast, after pouring out his life story of accidents, past litigation, and a host of other issues, the last guy called was dismissed. And who was the last juror to be called? Yes, it was me!
I got to the jury box and the first lawyer went through the litany of questions we all knew so well at this point. How long have you lived in Durham, what do you do, are you married, what does your spouse do, etc etc. I told him I came to North Carolina for school after finishing undergrad and when he asked me what I studied, I said "I came for chiropractic school!"
It felt good to offer some much needed levity after an intense day. My husband would probably say I'm not funny, but I can point to July 10, 2018 as the day I told a good joke and made an unsuspecting courtroom laugh. Of course they picked me...because who wouldn't want me on the jury? They dismissed the other jurors and dove right in to opening statements.
I won't bore you withal the case details except to say it was all very fascinating. The judge told us not to expect the high drama like what we might see on TV, but seemed sort of similar to me. Lots of objections, overrulings, "your honor may we approach the bench"es, and accusations of lies. I was a big fan of the defense lawyer, and one of my favorite moments was when he was cross examining the plaintiff. He continually had to bring her documents to "refresh her memory," and everytime he approached, he had to ask the judge permission. "Your honor, can I approach?" he asked for about the 10th time, and the witness, already a touch frazzled, said, "yes." The lawyer replied, "Ma'am, I'm asking the judge, not you."
Ok, you might want to feel sorry for her, but let me just tell you, you probably shouldn't. This was a low impact collision, and everyone walked away from the scene unharmed. She claimed neck and back and shoulder and knee and calf injury the next day (I'm not exaggerating those claims) and she went to her chiropractor. Oh, and she was involved in two car accidents years ago where she also sought damages for neck and back injuries. Needless to say, I wasn't buying what she was throwing down. I don't think my fellow jurors were either, but of course, we were not allowed to discuss the case outside of the courtroom. We get back from along lunch the first full day and we were thanked for our service and told we could go home! The judge told us the plaintiff had dropped the case (I guess her lawyer finally figured out that it was obvious she was lying?) and we were free to leave. Of course, it was great to be out of jury duty, but it was also a bit unsettling. I had written down so many questions on my little notepad. Questions that would never be answered!
I took off my red juror badge, returned my paper pad, and was given reassurance that I would still collect my full day's payment. I left with my validated parking ticket and with the courthouse in my review mirror, cranked up my radio as Toby Keith's "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue" blared.
Justice will be served and the battle will rage
This big dog will fight when you rattle his cage
And you'll be sorry you messed with
The U.S. of A
'Cause we'll put a boot in your ass
It's the American way
God bless America.
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