Jury Duty

I had my first chance to participate in a fundamental part of this country and the judicial system today.  It wasn't terribly exciting - actually it was pretty boring.  And it left me a bit sad.

It was a simple case of misdemeanor assault with no jail time: only a possible fine.  In Hays County TX nothing really exciting happens.  This isn't quite Sugar Valley PA where they occasionally find dead bodies just a quarter mile up the road from your house.  Boring is good I guess, but I do miss Sugar Valley a bit.

I was one of six jurors selected out of twenty five that showed up.  I'm not sure how I made the cut, but I was glad I did.  I really wanted to participate, and feel strongly that jury duty is a privilege and one of the many things that make our country great.  Of course, that's easy for me to say now.  Ask me again if I do jury in the future and end up on a really juicy case that requires sequestration. 

The case was pretty cut and dried, and there was even video evidence to make our deliberations quite easy; I think we discussed the case for about fifteen minutes.  The defendant was guilty.  And the complainant (no, not the state of Texas) was immature and vindictive.  The defendant was also immature and manipulative.  How they treated each other was bad enough.

They were a couple that had just gotten divorced and were splitting up the personal property.  She shoved him, he fell into another person, and both he and the other person filed charges.  They clearly had developed a consuming contempt for each other and were almost solely concerned with hurting each other above all else.  So they dragged their children into their petty war. 

During the video evidence, not once did the father attempt to comfort or console his children - who should not have been there in the first place - who I am sure were distressed about the ordeal.  And it was painful to watch a young man, who the jurors agree had been coached, to describe his father as angry, vulgar, mean, and intimidating.  It was very uncomfortable to see a sister turn against her brother so easily, almost joyfully. 

It was all such stupid, immature, petty behavior that led to a waste of time and more tears (rips, not drops) in the family fabric: if there was one.  It was pretty easy to find the defendant guilty, but also pretty easy to fine her a nominal amount to voice our overall displeasure with both "sides". 

So, I get home and am pretty bummed.  I happen to then go to my home page to catch up on the news, and come across this story.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/04/27/blog.terminal.illness/index.html?hpt=C2

And I wonder, why can't adults be more like kids?

And I thank Mom and Dad, and my own brothers and sisters.  And Jerry.