Jury Duty, Moment 3

Everyone sat in the courtroom, very tired and very much so hoping they still wouldn't be called into a juror's seat. The first excused was Mr. Incomprehensible. His replacement worked as an optometrist for the last six months after working on a Sundance Film for the past 8 years. She was normal; the People accepted.

Defense excused Juror 11, the museum guy. Replacement worked as an analyst for the Department of Medicine at USC. Normal Sunday school teacher type. Poor girl.

Defense excused Juror 3, the squeamish mother. Replacement was a development associate for fundraising who lives in Pasadena. The People accepted. The Defense accepted.

Huzzuh! The panel of jurors raised their hands. "Do you so agree?" Yes, yes they did. Now on to the alternates...

6643. 3866. I could hear Chatty Kathy tell her friend, "You let out that sigh of relief too soon," as she walked up to the alternate chair. 6643 was attacked at age 20, 18 years ago, and she lost 8 months of memory after the incident. Also, her stepson was in jail in Florida.
"Is he young?" asked the Judge.
"Yes. Well. 40," she replied.
"That's young," said the Judge with a smile, clearly over that age limit. I liked her.
6643, with tears in her eyes, then asked for a sidebar as the Judge continued to ask her questions about the attack.

3866 worked at Warner Brothers, reassessing financial risks within the company. I would not like to have her job. Poor girl.

The Defense excused 6643 (surprise) and she is replaced by 7586, a single marketing manager whose car was stolen ten years ago in Chicago and that's about it. Normal girl. The portly Defense asked her a question or two, peering at her with his little eyes behind his big glasses. No more questions. The People accepted. The Defense accepted.

It is finished.

Let's recap, shall we?

• Juror 4: Molested as a child
• Juror 7: In-law's kids in trouble with the law - one deported back to Armenia
• Juror 8: Girlfriend raped; Cousin convicted of murder
• Juror 10: Arrested for assault; Friend's baby boy beaten by the father, lacerating its liver
• Juror 11: Friends killed and raped by stranger
• Juror 12: High school girlfriend molested
• New Juror 1: Wife molested; Brother arrested; Sister arrested
• New Juror 5: Molested as a child
• Alternate 1: Attacked and raped
• CRIMINAL: Claimed to have consensual sex with an 18-year-old stepdaughter while married to her mother
  

Fan-tastic.

I don't know about you, but I'd never heard so many depressing situations in one room in my life. I remember my elementary math school teacher telling the class that 1 out of every 13 people shared the same birthday, so at least one couple in the class might raise their hands at the same time when she picked a date. I didn't realize that 1 out of every 2 people in Los Angeles County had been a victim of an absolutely horrendous crime. How sickening.

We were dismissed (for good) at 1:00pm, and I began walking to clear my head. I passed a homeless man sitting cross-legged on the street, who asked me for money. I passed a crazy man on a bicycle who was flailing his arms and legs so much that he almost combo-punch-kicked me in the face. I passed a frail old lady who stood motionless near sidewalk construction, not really looking at anyone or anything.

And, at the end of my walk, I passed a building that boasted on its front door sign:

WEDDINGS. BRIDAL GOWNS. JEWELRY. IMMIGRATION.
INCOME TAX. DIVORCES. OTHER SERVICES.

We sure have it all out here in Los Angeles. Just not sure what-all it is, or if I want any of it.