I am writing this entry on Tuesday night, but it will post tomorrow morning. Right now I’m trying to get organized >>> I am in the middle of getting ready for jury duty. (This entry will post as I am driving downtown.) I’m in the middle of packing all of the things I might want to have with me while I wait to see if they plan on keeping me for jury duty, or not.
I always take my notebook/organizer with me to places where I know I’m going to have to sit around and wait. I have gotten a lot of my TV and Movies entries written while waiting for doctors. And I specifically remember writing my What Makes a Cozy Just That? definition while sitting in the very same jury duty waiting room several years ago. Unfortunately, more and more waiting rooms have those pesky televisions blaring, which, with my attention deficit disorder makes it a little more difficult for me to work. I now carry ear plugs in my purse to help drown out talk show hosts whooping it up for their audiences.
Since I have done this jury duty sit-and-wait stint several times before, I know I’m going to need more than just my notebook/organizer. I’m (of course!!!) going to take my Kindle – just in case I’m in the mood to read OR play one of the games I have on it. (Mahjong is my favorite.)
I know I have talked about this before, but I am guessing that at least half of the people there will not have anything to do… no reading materials, no Sudoku puzzle books, NADA, NOTHING, ZILCH, ZIP! It never ceases to surprise me how many people seem to just show up, apparently expecting some television talk show host to entertain them OR perhaps just to sit and enjoy the day.
For some reason, I’ve never been selected. I (personally) think I’d be really good at being a juror. I’ll let you all know if I’m selected.
linda c says
Danna, From what I understand, from other people I had talked too, about being selected to sit on a jury, at least in my county, a person can be called on 3 times. I was called 4 times! The first time I couldn’t serve because I knew the prosecuting attorney from church. The second time I couldn’t serve because I knew too much about the case in question, as well as some of the people involved. This particular case was the guilt or innocence of a man who had hit and killed a close friend of mine who was riding a motorcycle. (This is a sort of small county.) The third time I didn’t know that I knew anyone but I was selected to be the 13th juror. When the judge, I think it was asked if any of us, the prospective jurors, knew any of the people involved the name was such a common name that I said that I didn’t. How many “Jim Smiths are there in the world!!??
When the people involved came into the court room I was flabbergasted when I saw that I did know the complainant. His brother was one of my son’s best friends!!. I had no idea what I should do, so I did nothing. This was all about 20 years ago.
The trial only lasted about 2 hours, then we were called to deliberate. But since I was the 13th juror, I wasn’t allowed to deliberate. I was excused. I could have stayed in the court room to learn the outcome.
Not knowing what to do in my particular case of knowing some of the people I immediately went home and called the lawyer who handled my first husband’s estate after my husband died. I was scared to death that I would be prosecuted for not owning up to the fact that I did indeed know some of the people involved. The law clerk that I talked to asked another lawyer and he did a little investigation on my behalf.
What that person was able to discover is that, yes I should have said something, at least to the bailiff but that since I didn’t go into the deliberation (very big words for me on a beautiful Wednesday morning) that I was alright. I was advised that should that ever happen again I should speak up as soon as I could.
Thankfully when I was called for the 4th time (don’t believe everything that ‘someone else” tells you) I had lost my hearing and was excused.
I just reread that and believe me, I am not thankful that I lost my hearing!! Very poor choice of words there!!
I did enjoy being called for jury duty. Now that I have a hearing aide I have never been called again. Darn!! I loved sitting on the jury. The process is very interesting, or it was to me!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, what were the chances of you knowing 1) the prosecuting attorney, 2) the case, or 3) the complainant?!? This sounds like your court-related life is very similar to an I Love Lucy episode!
linda c says
Danna, Like I said, this is somewhat of a small county in population. We all don’t know everybody but we know quite a few. There have been some recent trials that I sure would have liked to have been able to sit on but then the person charged is supposed to be innocent until “Proven” quilty, right!! yea!! right!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, I don’t even know all of the people in our 300 house subdivision!
linda c says
Danna, the apartment complex where my DH and I live now is called a 4plux. There are 4 units in each building. These are all on the ground floor, not steps to climb. The renters are for the most part are older people whose kids are grown and on their own.
There are 3 rows of 4 buildings. This October we will have been here 2 years. I know some of my neighbors but only a few very well. Although the rent isn’t very high (600 a month) our landlords are very good about keeping the places nice. There is quite a turnover of renters almost each month. People just move in and out all the time. I speak and wave as these people go by. They speak and wave back. I know the names of their animals more than the names of the people themselves!! I don’t know the names of the people two doors down from us.
I think this is because there are very few little kids living in these apartments. People just don’t neighbor as much any more, I guess. I like people, just don’t neighbor as much anymore. Shame, isn’t it!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Linda C, I think you’re right about neighbors being more able to make friends when they have small children. (Anyway, that was certainly the case with my family.)
Ann says
Yes, it’s usually a place with lots of people who look bored. I’ve never been selected either, probably because I’ve always working in the legal field.
Ann
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Ann, not only do they look bored, but judging from their rather loud cell phone conversations, they ARE bored!
linda c says
I found it very hard to stay awake during the time that I was the 13th juror! Remember during the OJ Simpson trial when the cameras would point to the sleeping jurors!! very funny but I knew how they felt!!
reginav says
Danna I agree with you about waiting in offices , hospitals, or doctors’ offices. I always carry a paperback or my Nook for such occasions. I do not know if these places have magazines or any type of reading materials. For instances, my ob-gyn has only Parents Magazine which at my age (78) I do not need. I cannot sit and stare into space as some people do. The topper for me was non stop flight from Boston to San Francisco, a man sat beside me and looked into space for 6 hours. It drove me crazy.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Regina, good thing that man didn’t try to engage you in a conversation >>> so he had something to do!
Mary Lou R says
After 6-7 times NOT being selected, followed by about 15 years of not even being summoned, I was finally selected to serve on a felony case (possession with intent to distribute crack). The process was fascinating and being selected (finally) was humbling. We have an awesome justice system. Hope you have a great experience!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Mary Lou, I totally agree with you about our justice system. Our judge tried to make that point when we were being sworn in. We are so fortunate, that it’s easy to take it for granted…
Kcathy2011 says
Ever been caught waiting somewhere and you forgot the book you were reading or craft. You look everywhere for something! I make myself nuts sometimes.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Kcathy, yikes, that would be awful. I am so spoiled by having something with me at all times that when I used to fly (before I had my Kindle) I would listen to my mystery on my MP3 with my “real book” ready for when we had to turn off our electronic devices. I see now that the FAA is thinking about lifting the ban on e-readers during take-offs and landings.
PamB says
Just want to take this opportunity to thank you for your blogs. I have spent hours pouring over all the cosy mystery writers searching for new authors I might like. I had never read any Charlotte Macleod books and was able to find several at a used book store and am so enjoying reading them (except Grab Bag….not so cosy..only read a couple of these short stories). Found you a couple of months ago and now have a stack of ‘to be read’ books. Thanks again for all you do for book lovers.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Welcome to the site, PamB. I’m glad to see you are finding some new authors who you enjoy.
linda c says
Hey danna, Did you post a list of August releases yet?? If you did I didn’t get the post!!
Danna - cozy mystery list says
No, Linda, I usually wait until the 6th of the previous month to post the new releases. (I am currently working on getting the list finished up.)
linda c says
Sorry Danna, I didn’t mean to rush you. You do such a wonderful job keeping us informed.
Have a great holiday weekend.
Danna - cozy mystery list says
Thanks, Linda C. (Don’t worry — You didn’t rush me.)