Here Come The Judge

Why do we always complain when we get a jury summons?  I got mine just before I left for Europe. They wanted me to report the day I returned. Called in and negotiated this week of June.  As instructed called yesterday and my group does not have to report on Monday. 1 down, 4 to go.  In all honesty I'm okay with being summoned.  It can be an inconvenience but looking beyond the "why me," moan and groan I find it a small bump in the road. It's how our system of justice works. I can live with that.  In fact I was once selected. Oddly enough I felt proud.  Everyone of us took it seriously and I rather enjoyed comparing reality vs. media portrayal of courtroom proceedings.  The trial was overseen by a witty and focused female judge who knew her stuff.  The prosecutor, sad to say, gave me first hand insight into why O.J. got off. The man did not impress while the defendant's attorney was fiery, well spoken and on her game. A bulldog. I recall thinking, "I'd hire her in a nano second."  Long story short there was a mistrial on the 2nd day. The first witness uttered something on the stand that I didn't hear but the defendant's attorney jumped out of her chair so quickly demanding a mistrial that I was startled.  As we left the courtroom and hurried down a flight of stairs one of us shouted, "what did the woman say?!" A fellow juror yelled, "when he committed homicide!!" Perry Mason or not I know that utterance could taint your opinion of the defendant. Order in the court!!!