Room for two: nineteen years

Today was Jury Duty Day # 2. I'll save you the boring details of hours spent sitting on hard benches reading The Mists of Avalon, a book I've read a dozen times, while waiting to be called into the courtroom. Which took up most of Friday and today. Other than that, nothing much has happened. But today we finally got to meet the 3 accused men and their defense lawyers.

I say "men" but really mean 3 scared little tattooed boys wearing grownup clothes and practically choking back yelps of terror, as us jurors are ushered into the room and take our spots in the juror's box. I'm not an actual juror yet - I just get to sit in the fancy box as the prosecution and defense layers ask us question after question - such as "What does 'beyond a resonable doubt' mean to you?" This process of Jury Selection is called some fancy name, but I can't remember it, and Wikipedia (which is usually so kind to me) can't seem to help me remember.

Anyhow. The day (and trial) ended abruptly today when the defense attorney asked the judge for a recess to talk in the judge's quarters. After an hour and a half of waiting (and reading my book, and noticing the poor lady next to me is going bald), we are brought back into the courtroom. The 3 accused men decided to take a plea bargain (at the cost of 19 years in prison each) rather than face a jury.

Holy. Tamale. Batgirl.

With the thought of signing one's life away for 19 years (still can't make it fit in my head), I leave the courthouse, drop off my Juror's badge, and attempt to drive out of the city. Which includes me driving the wrong way down a 1-way street, and idling behind a parked car and wondering why they wouldn't move with traffic.

The conclusion? I'm glad I was picked by random out of the voter's pool. It was definitely an experience I am glad for. Oh, and robbing a liquor store, then a convenience store, than robbing and beating up a lady, then stealing a car, robbing a walmart, stealing another car, and getting into a high-speed case, evidently gets you a plea bargain for 19 years in prision. Which, yeesh, I still can't comprehend.