I don’t mean to push the issue

[raybear]

Just a few weeks ago I commented that I had never been called for jury duty and then poof, I got the summons in the mail. I just called the number and the recording was all exciting anxiety-producing drawn out, like waiting for the lottery numbers to get spit up from the machine. All standby jurors.......for criminal court......with a last name of J........through M..........must.......report. Damn, that's me.

I'm equally annoyed and intrigued. Annoyed because I'm going to have to get up and out of the house earlier than usual, and then have to go to my other job aftewrards. But also curious about possibly getting chosen, because hello, I would love to be a juror. Yes, I know its tedious, its not like TV -- I have done my share of mock trials, watching trials, and I live with an attorney. Speaking of, this last part will probably keep me off a jury. I probably should have just written "lawyer" on the form, not "public defender", to increase my chances of slipping through, but now its too late. I suppose I've just ensured that I get to go to the courthouse and sit and people watch or read a book all day then get paid $20 or whatever at the end.

I watched the movie Kiss Kiss Bang Bang yesterday and I didn't love it but I didn't dislike it, or rather some parts I did one and some the other. But even though the movie is only like 2 years old, I swear it was very early 90s Los Angeles, or maybe it just reminded me of other movies from that period I've watched somewhat recently, like L.A. Story and Short Cuts. It made me sort of think about California and the mythology surrounding it, which intrigues me a little, though not as much as it sometimes seems to intrigue actually Californians. Maybe I'm actually more interested in the people who follow/create/perpetuate the mythology, than the myths themselves. But I do feel a hint of connection there, since significant moments of my life had happened there, things that shape me.

Then again, I'm thinking about place a lot. Its been saturating me, ever sense my trip to Miami. I've also been having a lot of intense sensory recall moments since coming back. Nearly every smell or taste or touch is conjuring up some long forgotten random memory. I always want to write them down, but they are fleeting -- by the time I pick up the pen or touch the keyboard, its frequently gone. They are also rarely fully formed, it would be hard to name all of them. Now that I think about it though, this happens frequently around the time of winter-spring change as well as the summer-fall change. I get all sensory overload/triggered.

Comments

[raybear.livejournal.com]

Hahaha. I like the idea of me reading while in the jury box.

In my jury instructions they say "bring something to read, change for the the vending machines, and please don't wear shorts." I could also bring my laptop to use in the jury waiting room and liveblog the excitement!! I'm sure you can't wait!!!!

[eloquentwthrage.livejournal.com]

Hmmm.... It must be different state to state, then. In New Jersey, you're not allowed to take a book out in the courtroom while they're polling jurors. You get yelled at and can be held in contempt! Contempt, I say!

Unless, of course, the something-to-read is prior to going into the courtroom. You might not be allowed to read while selection is in process.

[dommeyourass.livejournal.com]

they will have you in a huge room for most of the day with a couple hundred people. you will be grouped in panels(groups) of 50. you will get a number telling you which group you are in. so group #1 will be called first when the first jury is called, 2, 3, etc. so if no juries are needed that day, then no one is called and you're released at 3p.m. when you are called to a particular courtroom, you can not read or use your computer, but when you are in the main large room, you can do whatever you want. it's like the holding area.