Juror 23371

In the movie Les Miserables, the escaped prisoner and main protagonist, Jean Valjean, is identified as prisoner 24601. When the wife got a summons for jury duty a couple months ago it was a rather somber moment for her. Upon opening her summons, her juror number was 23371, and for a good while it seemed as if she thought herself a prisoner of our judicial system. She was so upset about having to report for jury duty, that I could not even joke about her having received the summons, much less having to report for jury duty. 

A few months ago when I opened the email of what to expect in the  post that day, she was out for her daily walk, and I had to snicker to myself, knowing my wife was being called to jury duty. The most apolitical person I know, she was being called for a civic duty I was sure she would rather avoid. She did not disappoint in terms of her dislike for the summons. In her many years on earth, this is her first summons. She was not a happy camper. Further, her jury duty week was one of my off meeting weeks, which we could have gone camping, and with Juneteenth, she had to report Tuesday, June 20. She was almost thinking of paying the fine and not reporting.  But, she turned her attitude around and strongly embraced this important civic duty. I think the most stress she had was having to drive to downtown Madison, which is currently a nightmare from our house due to so much road construction. She found an alternate route, but of course many are using that alternate route which caused even more delays. The second major stressor was having to pay for parking on selection day, as the county does not pay for parking for a prospective juror. They get a pass for the days they attend a trial. The first pay kiosk did not work and there were no instructions. She was not the only prospective juror upset with the pay station not properly functioning. I know when I last reported my $10 stipend was almost fully used by paying for parking. 

We had discussed going camping if she was not selected. Not wanting to jink the moment, I did not even get the hitch back on the car from when we had used our trailer mounted bike rack, or the kayak rack on the Jeep. Tuesday morning, while she was had reported for duty, per her summons, I did, however, double check that I had everything for the kayak. As luck would have it, she then texted me at 11:15 am to say we would not be going camping. She had been selected for a jury.

I have had three summons to serve on jury duty, and neither time did I make it out of the main assembly room where all jurors report. One time I was in the last group to get dismissed. My wife, however, had a report time of 9:00 am, was called to a courtroom before 9:20 am. Here, her first time reporting and she got called to a courtroom; I reported three times and never got called back. Based on my experience,  I was optimistic that she would not get called to serve on a jury. Was I wrong! I wondered if I had jinked it by checking the kayak tie down straps, and wondered if my timing of looking at them at 11:00 am corresponded with her selection as a juror.

I was surprised when she pulled in the garage about noon on Tuesday. I thought they would have started the trial that day, but the start date was set for Wednesday. She was told to expect a long day Wednesday, so I did not know what to plan for dinner. I was not expecting her to be selected, after all I have reported three times, and never have been selected. 

So, Jury Girl sat through the trial, taking copious notes.  As they sat the jury, she became juror #4, and at the conclusion of testimony, that number was plopped out of a bingo type machine selecting her as the alternate and the one to depart just before deliberations were to begin. She was even present to even hear the jury instructions even though she was now the alternate.

Dane County Courthouse

As the others began their deliberations, she headed home. I can think of no worse thing as a juror then to sit through a trial and then not participate in the deliberations.

I was involved with an eminent domain trail one time, it lasted four days, where a juror fell asleep and his was the only name in the hat from which the alternate was chosen. Agreement by judge and attorneys, it was decided he would be the alternate. In the case of the Jury Girl, the bingo balls of the 13 jurors were put in, unless of course 13 balls with only #4 were put in the device. 

That night, after she got home, she was able to follow some of the action on the state court web site. She found out that the jury asked for answers or clarification on three issues, viewed a surveillance video again, and then found the defendant guilty. She was disappointed at having invested time and not have been able to join the deliberations. The worst part of jury duty is being that 13th juror.  She had several questions she would have asked during deliberations and questioned the lack of some evidence gathering by the police.

I am proud of her for the way she embraced this important civic duty which is essential to a functioning government. From her comments, I gathered that jury girl paid astute attention, had taken notes and written down questions, with her court note book confiscated. If chosen for deliberations she would have posed several interesting questions about what was done and not done.  She did what was required of her for a functioning democracy, and overcame her initial reluctance. She even received a thank you letter from the judge. Juror 23371, or Jury Girl, embraced her role in the judicial system much better than prisoner 24601.