Guilty

Last Thursday I got called to serve on jury duty. I arrived at the courthouse thinking I would be sitting around all day and that I wouldn’t get called for a trial. But within 45 minutes of arriving I was in the jury box ready to hear a case. The trial involved a man accused of drunk driving and driving with a suspended license.

Last Thanksgiving this man was driving down the back roads of the county when a young couple on their way to Thanksgiving dinner spotted his erratic driving. The family followed the accused for several miles and witnessed him narrowly missing other cars several times. Then he ran into a ditch and destroyed a mailbox. They followed this guy all the way to his house where the police met up with him moments after he arrived.

When confronted by the police, the drunk driver admitted to having a “few drinks” and crashing into the mailbox. He gave himself away before the cop had a chance to ask him anything. Then he tried to trick the Breathalyzer test so he was taken to the hospital for a blood test. They found his alcohol level to be an unbelievable 3 times the legal limit. The man was arrested and spent Thanksgiving night in jail.

At the trial the evidence was overwhelming and we unanimously found him guilty. That is except for one juror. She sympathized with the drunk as she had her licensed suspended for drunk driving. Being the moron she is, the rest of the jurors easily persuaded her to change her vote. All it took was a promise for us to meet at the bar and get drunk that night. Of course none of us showed up but at least we got out of the courthouse right away.

Afterward, the judge told us this was one of the fastest trials he ever had. And he told us we made the right decision. The drunk guy was in front of this judge twice before for the same thing. Three strikes and you’re out.

When I originally got the notice to appear for jury duty, I was pissed. But after going through the experience, I’m glad I was able to participate. Of course its a big inconvenience but I realize now how important the process can be. The judge compared our serving on a trail to the soldiers in Iraq - that we’re doing our duty as Americans. It was an enlightening experience and if I’m chosen to serve again, I’ll have a better understanding of the whole process.