Jury Duty

This past Monday I was supposed to report to my local Courthouse for jury duty.

This past Friday morning, around 8 am, I was received a call at work from my wife that went something like this:

Wife – Did you not have jury duty this week?

Me – Please tell me that card on the refrigerator says the 24th and not the 17th!!!

Wife – Umm, no, it says you are to report Monday the 17th at 9:00am.

Me – I’m so dead. Is there a phone number on the card?

Wife – Yes; 555-555-5555 (not actual number). Maybe you ca

Click - (me hanging up on my wife in the shear panic to call the number she just gave me).

I call the number and an assistant to the Clerk of the Probate Court answers the phone. I give a two minute explanation about forgetting all about the date.

Lady on the phone – Oh dear.

Oh dear? I’m so dead.

I find out that there is a $1,000 fine and possible time in jail for not showing up for jury duty.

I’m so dead…..with my wife now.

Going to jail may not be so bad…I can always witness to my jail mates, but the $1,000 fine is not going to be well received with the better half.

The lady on the phone says that she will give a message for the Clerk of Probate to call me later that afternoon. “It’s been a busy, busy week here because of all the court cases, but I’m sure she will get back to you today.”

No call that Friday.

All weekend long I expected the Sheriff’s department to show up at my house with a bench warrant for failure to show.

I imagined a sweaty, red faced judge angry at the long drawn out court cases and on top of that, he couldn’t wait to slam down the gavel at those who had the audacity to just flippantly defy the law and not show up for jury duty.

The weekend went by without badges at the door.

Monday morning at work the phone rings and I don’t recognize the number.

Me –Hello?

Lady on the Phone (LOTP) – Hello, this is Mrs. So and So. I am the Clerk of the Probate Court. How are you this morning?

Me – I’ll let you know in a couple minutes depending on what you’re going to tell me. How are you?

LOTP – (Laughing) I’m fine, thank you. I got your message and wanted to call and let you know that everything is Ok; you’re not in any trouble.

Me – Whew.

After a few minutes of talking to this very nice lady, she told me she could set me up for another shot at jury duty during the second week of July. That’s cool because I really do like jury duty. I’ve only served once when we lived in another county and really enjoyed the deliberation and the discussion afterward.

I know…I’m weird.