We the Jury Find the Defendant...

I've had the privilege of jury duty this week. I was a little nervous at first, but it's actually been pretty fun. This is my first experience, so I had no idea what to expect. On Monday, I joined a room full of strangers at the county courthouse. We have 3 judges and several criminal cases throughout the week. Because there are so many cases, we can be selected more than once. I got selected to sit on the jury for a case on Monday. I felt like I was on TV. I've never seen a real life trial. It was pretty laid back for the most part. The lawyers gave their opening speeches then called the 2 witnesses then gave their closing speeches. After that, the 6 jurors had to come to total agreement whether the defendant was guilty or not guilty. I make it sound light and comical, but I did take it seriously knowing this decision affected someone's life and near future. The criminal cases were for misdemeanors and the people can be sentenced up to one year in prison. We actually found him not guilty based on not enough facts and some doubt. Today, I had to go back to the courthouse but was not selected for the jury panel. I'm kind of glad about the decision because the case was about domestic abuse and I don't know if I truly could have been non bias. I have to go back tomorrow for more cases...we'll see if I get selected again. It's nice to have a little break from the hum drum of everyday work. It's nice to wear nice business clothes instead of scrubs. It's been a very good experience.