Interrupted

We interrupt this regularly scheduled homeschooling Mama's routine to bring you....

....jury duty.

I was assured by others that the odds that I would actually have to go to the courthouse were slim. I called the night before and there were no specifications as to who had to attend. Everyone was to show up for the jury call. I observe about 70 potential jurors. I knew they would select twelve, meaning that I had only a 17% chance of actually being selected.

Apparently, I am quite lucky.

I should've bought a lottery ticket.

I've watched a lot of Law & Order and also enjoy my daily dose of People's Court and Judge Judy. So for me, it was like those shows had come to life! In some ways, this real-life trial was similar. "I object to this line of questioning!" In other ways, not. (The courtroom definitely was not as dramatic looking and the attorneys remained seated while examining the witnesses.)

After two full days of being in court (1 1/2 days worth of trial), my duty has been fulfilled. I took many notes. I prayed, for myself, for wisdom, for the man whose life could change because of our decision. I took this responsibility quite seriously. Oh, and guess who ended up being the foreperson?

Yep. That's right.

My face was so hot after we finished deliberating, I had to go into the bathroom and press my cheeks against the cool metal paper towel dispenser. My knees were actually shaking as the verdict was delivered. (The judge actually read it, not the foreperson, like you might see on TV.)  We were personally thanked by the Judge for our service and he answered any questions we might've had.

All in all, it was a positive experience. Something I won't soon forget. And I will continue to pray for the man that we convicted. I'm sure he won't forget this experience either.

Any other former jurors out there?