|
|
Monday, July 16, 2007And Jill Gets Her Day In CourtIt happened. I actually got to serve on a jury. I had this "feeling" on Friday, anyway, that I was going to end up having to actually sit on a jury panel. I'd been fortunate enough not to have been called in at all earlier in the week. And I was right. Friday was truly my "day in court." Of course, the first -- the very first -- potential juror that was pegged for a question was me. And the question? "Ms. -- Boehme? You're pregnant?" I smiled. "You noticed?" Once again, laughter filled the courtroom. I was definitely put there for comic relief. And what else did this well-meaning lawyer wish to know? "How often do you need to stand up?" Huh? And the ever-chatty "Ms. Boehme" was rendered speechless. Nobody has ever outlined the schedule for Mandatory Pregnancy Standing Rituals for me. The kindly judge intervened on my behalf. "I'll take care of Ms. Boehme." Well! Suddenly I was under the care of the Honorable Judge Robert E. Lee Davies himself. (Yes, you read that correctly, and I definitely live in the South. I don't know if Yankees name their children Ulysses S. Grant Schleffler or not. Things are different on this side of the Mason-Dixon.) I decided that I liked the judge. And the lawyers decided that they liked me, because I got to stay. "There's water in the refrigerator in the juror room." Judge Davies was addressing his comment directly to me as we filed out of the courtroom to prepare for the trial. "And there's a masseuse back there." A judge with a sense of decorum and a sense of humor! I was sold. "I love this place!" I called out as I exited. So. It was an uncomplicated case and we took all of fifteen minutes to deliberate. I'm glad to say that we did not award any damages above and beyond the plaintiff's chiropractic bill. None of this McDonald's Coffee or I'm-Fat-Because-Of-The-Oreos-Manufacturers garbage. Ah. I love living in a conservative county. And I loved my day in court. I loved it when the plaintiff's lawyer tried to make his client's conflicting statements sound like they were a result of the language barrier (the plaintiff spoke only Spanish and had to use an interpreter). Little did he know that I understood enough of the Spanish to know that the plaintiff was not having a language problem. He was simply contradicting his own testimony. I loved it when the snarky New York defense lawyer jumped up and said, "Your Honor, I object." More than once. Courtroom drama at its best. I loved the way everyone treated me with extra kindness because of my big belly. And I loved the fact that my day in court was over by 2:30. I loved meeting the other jurors, too. The stay-at-home mom of two teenagers who was sitting on her second trial. The gentleman who took my side in a friendly should-Shepherd's-Pie-contain-lamb-or-beef debate (lamb, of course). The nineteen-year-old wannabe lawyer who was happy to be there despite her severe immaturity. The ex-public-schoolteacher who held me at arm's length because I'm a -- gasp -- homeschooler. The college student who announced that she was afraid to move in her juror chair because it kept making a sound like a fart. And the self-employed pharmacist who said I could punch him in the arm if I needed to get out of the jury box to go pee. Definitely one of the most interesting experiences I've had this year. Still, I'm beyond grateful that my life is now much less complicated. This week consists of making final additions to my Baby Shower guest list, taking my children to the dentist, and going over my birth plan with my midwife. Life as I know and love it! And if I'm really on the ball, I may actually get back to writing. It's hard to be creative when you're worried about having to spend the next day in court. (And if you haven't read the delightful comment from the science editor at Highlights magazine in my previous post, please take a moment now. It's a wonderful response to my "Rejection Letter" story -- I'm honored that he took the time to write it.) Labels: life |
About Me
I am: Mother to five stunningly individualistic children... Writer of young adult fantasy... Passionate advocate for Women At Home... Madly in love with my husband... In need of Organic Gourmet Chocolate on a regular basis. I've got a Paypal account if you'd like to contribute to the cause....
|
4of my readers are feeling chatty:
Well that answers the question I asked in my email! :-D
I just LOVED "The college student who announced that she was afraid to move in her juror chair because it kept making a sound like a fart."
Oh my gosh, that is funny! Did you tell her not to worry? Everyone would probably just have assumed it was the pregnant lady!
:-D
What a lovely day!!!!!!! I'm so happy that it went well.
Kerrie, you are bad! So bad. :0)
It was nice of them to deliberate fast so you could go pee
I love how you got special treatment because you are pregnant. :D
Post a Comment
<< Home