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I drove over 20 miles to the city of Detroit, MI this morning. Not for fun and games or anything useful, however. Why was I there, you ask? For jury duty. Jury duty in the United States, which is defined by Wikipedia as

When a person is called for jury duty in the United States, that service is mandatory and the person summoned for jury duty must attend. Failing to report for jury duty is illegal and usually results in an individual simply being placed back into the selection pool in addition to potential criminal prosecution.

is typically looked upon as a dreaded occurrence.

Three times in the last ten years, I have been summoned by the court. Twice, I actually had to make the long trek from where I live to downtown Detroit, to the county seat. Once, my group was exempted from appearing, and I'm telling you, was that a happy day for me.

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The process is usually as follows:

1. Receive and summons and preliminary questionnaire in the mail.
2. Fill out and mail the questionnaire back, or fill it out online at the court's website.
3. The night before the date listed on your summons, call (or check the website) to see if your group number is still scheduled to appear. If so, then
4. Arrive at the courthouse at the scheduled time, minus electronic devices, cigarette lighters, cameras, mobile phone, markers, and anything that can be used as a weapon. Be prepared to be searched by guards for contraband items.
5. Check in, typically in an assembly/conference room.
6. Wait for your name/number to be called. If you ARE called, then
7. Proceed to a courtroom to be sworn in, apprised of your duties, and receive information about the case.
8. When your name/number is called, have a seat in one of the 14 chairs in the jury box.
9. Answer questions about your background, family, education, and whether you recognize any of the names of the people involved in the case.
10. Should you be excused, congratulations! You're free for at least one year. Should you be selected, be prepared to listen to arguments, observe evidence, and decide someone's fate.

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Twice now, I have NOT been chosen as a juror. Once, I sat in the jury box, and was excused due to the fact that I could not be impartial to the case for personal reasons I really don't want to get into. Today, I escaped having my name called. After I spent the entire morning in the courtroom, they settled on their jury before they got to the last two of us potential jurors remaining in the audience. The docket had been filled for the day, so we were free to go, just in time for lunch.

In good news about jury duty, we receive payment for our services, to the tune of $25 for the first day, $40 for each additional day (if selected as a juror), plus mileage. I'll be looking for my check in the mail.

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