The past 2 days have flown by! On Sunday, I went over to my sister-in-law, Nicki’s, house and really got into the Holiday spirit. We made gingerbread cookies, watched Love Actually and listened to Christmas music. It was so fun to smell fresh cookies baking, sit around the Christmas tree and drink festive cocktails.
Yesterday, I had jury duty. Honestly, I don’t feel old enough to serve on a jury, but I guess you can get summoned at 18, so that means I am a decade old enough!
Jury Duty was an experience. I have to admit, I was dreading it. I had no idea what to expect and I am so busy with work, life and everything in between that I didn’t feel like I could possibly fit in another commitment. I had to get to the Suffolk Superior Court by 8 am. After leaving my house late, taking a few wrong turns, and freezing the entire walk, I finally arrived a little after 8:15 [fashionably late!].
I rushed out of the house so fast, I forgot my water and snacks I had packed to get me through the day. Once I arrived at the courthouse I stood in line to sign in and get my juror number assigned. Then, I went into the “jury pool” to wait for instructions.
An hour later, a court officer addressed all of us, and had us watch a 18 minute long video that explained the reason we were there and how the whole process works.Shortly after, a superior court judge addressed all of us to further explain how the day will work. Whenever a judge enters the room, everyone has to stand and all the men have to talk their hats off… I kind of felt like I was back in High School!
We had a short break so I snuck out to grab some breakfast. I wen to Starbucks and got the Spinach & Feta wrap. I never buy fast food. NEVER. It was desperate times! The sandwich was surprisingly really good; the spinach tasted fresh and the egg whites seemed normal.
Around 10am, back in the jury pool, my number was called and I was brought into a court room along with what seemed like 100 other people. This is where things got real!
We sat in the court room with the defendant, the lawyers and the judge. The case they were selecting a jury for was for a 1st degree murder… yea, that $hit’s real! It felt like Serial in real life. The judge asked all of us a series of questions about if we had any prior knowledge of this case, she listed the potential witnesses to see if we knew any, and asked if we had any other prejudices or reasons that would make us unfit to sit on the jury. Ultimately, I was “excused” because the trial was going to go until at least the week of December 21st and I have personal commitments that interfere. I was relieved to not have to sit on the juror because I am not sure I could handle the pressure of having a persons fate in my hands but on the other hand I am kind of bummed because it would of been an incredibly interesting experience.
After being excused from Jury Duty I headed home and got ready for a Holiday Gathering for the YES Foundation at the EMC Club at Fenway which is a private club that overlooks the baseball field. They served Fenway Franks and had an amazing view!
But the real reason we were there was to support the Foundation and the Kids. I am a huge fan of YES and what they do for the community of Boston. Their mission is to inspire and challenge youth with physical and mental activities that foster life-long respect for self, others, and the environment. I plan on volunteering this winter and going on a few ski trips with the kids!
It was a busy Monday, but I had a lot of fun. It was empowering seeing, first hand, how our judicial system works. I was thankful to be a part of such a great country – for the people, by the people! Ending such a powerful day with giving back to the Boston community was the cherry on top!
Have you ever served jury duty? What was your experience like?