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There are some things in our lives that require attention immediately. Perhaps the smoke alarm starts screaming in the middle of the night. Maybe you hear the screeching of tires on the street outside your door. Or when you open your mailbox to find an official-looking letter from your local Circuit Court Clerk's Office.
The latter could truly make some nervous. However, it most likely is a letter telling you that you have been selected for jury duty. The process is rather simple. The letter provides detailed instructions on how you will be notified when to appear for a trial at your local courthouse.
Usually that entails having you call a phone number at a certain time and day. A recording will instruct you on whether a trial is scheduled for the next day or if a case has been settled. Either way, you will be told what to do.
The letter also gives information about what you will be paid and where to park your vehicle. There will be a questionnaire to complete, and I do mean COMPLETE. How you respond to the various questions can have a significant effect on whether you will actually be seated on a jury.
Speaking from experience, I will tell you that there could be various reasons why you are told to go home rather than serve. Because I was employed by the local media, I was not selected to serve on a jury.
There are other variables that could keep you from serving such as age or medical issues. Most people I have talked to who have served on a jury tell me they were happy to do it. They felt it was at least one way to give back to their communities. That's not to say there are those who just can't be bothered and find ways to get out of serving.
There have been some very public and controversial trials across our country that have been making headlines. The headlines haven't been focused as much on the defendants. Instead the spotlight has been on jurors, and that is worrisome for all courts looking to seat future jurors.
In one case, a juror has been bullied and verbally bashed for his vote that ended a trial in a hung jury. That juror has had to employ his own attorney to protect his rights and reputation. This particular case could have potential jurors running for the hills. And that, my friends, would be a crying shame and only hinder our judicial process.
Heather Ziegler can be reached via email at hziegler@theintelligencer.net.