Tuesday, January 09, 2018

King County Jury Duty--Prepare To Wait

Getting called to jury duty can be frightening.  When you show up either downtown or to the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent (above) where I was sent, you don't know what or how things will take place.
I arrived at the Maleng Center on time yesterday and reported to the jury room.  We were presented with a number of forms to fill out.  One was a "juror biography" where we wrote about ourselves, where we lived, where we were born, our education, etc.  Upon completion, we go to a waiting area, not unlike a bus terminal.  It was big, but not old nor unpleasant.  There was a buzz through the room for a period of time until a film presentation came up on the screen. It basically outlined the process.
Afterwards, a judge came up to the room to outline the history of picking juries in the area.  At one time, it was a 30 day obligation, then a two week,  now if you are not picked on day one, you are released. 
It was a sit and wait situation for another half hour.  People in the room were on their smart phones and laptops. Some were reading paperback books.  A woman came up to the front of the room to say that a judge needed 70 people for a jury pool for a particular case.   One by one, names where read from 1 to 70.  My name was not picked.   Obviously from that 70,  12 jurors would be picked.
Those left in the room waited another couple hours to see if another case would need jurors.  Most of the people were back on their smart phones and laptops.  I became fascinated with a post on facebook on sayings people use  but can't stand when right around noon, it was announced that there where no other cases that day and we were free to leave. 

1 comment:

Ida said...

I hate jury duty and usually now I can get out of going. - To bad you sat there for so long only to be sent home.