Searching for Omar

It was over a week ago on Monday, 21 March 2022, by far the most favorable weather day of the last two weeks, I made my way to the Dane County Courthouse to fulfill a summons to report for duty as a potential juror. The massive courthouse structure sits on its site, not far from the grandeur of the State Capitol, like a large ship about to disembark on a journey of discovery. The summons arrived about two months prior to the date I was required to report to provide ample time to arrange your schedule.  As noted in the summons a trial could start that week or even the following week, so I thought best to play it safe and set aside two weeks. Setting aside two weeks caused some things to be delayed more than one would have thought. By the end of the Monday session, I figured out how to get on a jury if you really want to. That is where Omar comes into the picture.

Dane County Courthouse,
The Jail is to the left of the Courthouse

Having to report by 9:15 am, and ever dutiful, I arrived at the courthouse at about 8:50 am. I decided to leave sufficient time for traffic, not being able to walk as fast with my bad feet, and finding a parking space. I parked in what was known as the Dane County Ramp, as recommended, and all the juror spaces were taken, probably by those that reported at a number of varied times before me, so I made my way to near the top of the ramp. Then I had to walk to the pay station and pay for my space. The instructions were pretty clear to set aside about three hours as you will not get time to plug a meter, so I ended my pay at 12:03 pm.

Twice before I had to report for jury duty, both times when the courthouse was at the City-County Building. I can't recall for sure where we waited, but I think it was the county board room. The first time, they read pool numbers and those in that number could leave, and I was lucky to be able to leave fairly early. The second time, twice they excused jury pool numbers and I was not able to leave until just before noon. I was with the last group to be excused. Before excusing pool numbers the first two times, they read off juror numbers, I don't recall it being a name, to depart and take your place with a bailiff for a courtroom.

That Monday I made the short walk to the courthouse from the parking garage.  I was following many others, some jurors, some not.  After going through screening, where you take off your belt, watch, and anything else with metal, except the fillings in my teeth--and wedding band, I made my way the lower level, and arrived shortly after 8:45 am. Some were signing in for the 8:45 time frame, and so was told to wait until they got through first.  I walk in the room, and I was surprised at the number of persons present. I am not sure how many, but I would think over 150 and perhaps over 200. It was a large room with several long rows of chairs facing one long wall. The room had a partial permanent divider, why I don't know. On the Friday before I received a text message telling me the time to report. I also looked at the jury website after 4:00 pm per the instructions received and noted the same thing with some additional requirements, such as wear a mask.

Even though the county removed its mask mandate, they still asked potential jurors to wear a mask, and so I donned a KN95 before entering the building. I found this interesting because the notice indicated if no mask mandate was in place, you could choose not to wear a mask. With that many people, masks made some sense. I was surprised everyone had a mask, but the county jury clerk employees. Although people did have a mask, that does not mean all were wearing it correctly. 

Right before my appointed time, at about 9:13 am, the jury clerk walks in, and sees the large crowd and decides to use the microphone. She reads off a list of names, and one name is Omar (I will leave out his last name). She then asks those people to proceed to the room entrance where a bailiff will meet them and take them to a courtroom. At this point the man right in front of me leaves with others nearby. A number cue up to get clarification on names to see if they were called. Some sat down, most left. My wife says I am hard of hearing, but I heard enough to know my name was not called. A few minutes later the clerk reappears and notes four or five names of people who did not make the trip to the entry and meet the bailiff. This included reading off Omar.  Those present leave with second call, and move to the entrance where a clerk is to take them to the courtroom. My hearing is not as bad as my wife thinks. 

City-County Building
Used to house the Courthouse

Well, several minutes later the clerk comes in again and asks if Omar is present. She looks around asks another time. No response from any one in the room, from what she or I can see.  She then tells the whole group, as if the put the wrath of the justice system in our mind, that Omar was given a reprieve on jury duty, but then missed the makeup date not once, but twice. She then went on to say a warrant for his arrest will be issued. I think there was a collective sigh of relief that none of the many that remained in the room were Omar. Me and the people around me look at each with quizzical eyes. I say to them that they should know if he is here as he would have had to sign in. I am not a sufficient conspiracy theorist to think he had some one sign in for him. Because she asked before 9:15am, he would have been in a prior group.

At about 9:45 am the clerk comes in again, and we are all thinking here comes the next group to be called. But she first says that there the only jury has been called, and we are free from duty for another minimum four years. No one really left at that time, wondering if this was truly the case, after all, we would not want to miss getting called and have an arrest warrant issued. Although, she really did not provide much time to leave, as she continued her statement. She went on to say that nine cases were scheduled for jury trial, some were pled, some where settled, and in one the DA was out with Covid, so we were all excused. I think the word excused is what we all needed to hear. But, she was not done. She then added they found Omar, who was now up in the courtroom. One case, in the paper the next morning, was a teacher sexual assault case where he pled guilty. To think, perhaps I would have been on that jury if the defendant had not pled guilty.

It occurred to me, as I left the courthouse, with all the people present for jury duty, how did it happen that Omar was selected? Was it payback for having missed earlier calls for jury duty?  It seems oddly coincidental. As Omar was finding his way to a windowless courtroom to see if he would actually be selected for a jury the many of us walked out of the courthouse to enjoy, as the clerk said, this nice day. I had the meter plugged until just after noon, and with that cost and my gas, I probably did not come out ahead with the $10 payment I received in a debit card (which as of last Friday still had no money in it), and which may have a fee associated with it. The instructions with this court card are so, well judicial, it is hard to understand what they mean. Given the rest of the week, perhaps jury duty for that part of July may not have been bad. The long and the short of it is, if you want to get on a jury skip your required appearance and chances are they will make sure you get called to the next level. I doubt many of us had any sympathy for Omar.