Juror Z-2143, Please Come To The Juror Box

So today I had to partake in my required civic duty as an American citizen and sit in the boring hell that is Jury Duty. Ok, so I haven't sat on a case yet. I just went through day one of jury selection. I have a feeling that after today's I won't be on any criminal trials. Today's case was a drug related case. A mother and daughter allegedly caught with herion and paraphenalia with intent to sell.

Judge: Is there any one here with members of family in law enforcement? This includes all federal, state, and local law enforcement, court officials and U.S. Military.

I raise my hand.

Judge: Mr. O'Gara, who in your family is in law enforcement?

Me: Well, there's my sister. She is a Staff Sergeant in the Army, recently returned from the 467th Engineering Batallion in Iraq. 8 years of total service. My father is a 25 year veteran of the police department of Rockville Centre on Long Island. My mother work as a court drug counselor in the drug court of Hempstead in Nassau County, Long Island. And my best friend of 20 years works is NYPD in a precinct in the town that this case takes place.


Yeah, I knew after I said that the defense lawyers wouldn't want me. The Assistant District Attorney, who was quite cute I might add, though, asked me further questions. Questions like did I think my mom's experience in drug court would color my opinions on drug case and my decision making capability on this case in particular.

"Well, yeah," I said, "my mom's experience has color my view of drug cases. Will it effect my ability to make a decision in this case based on what the judge says about law and whether you prove or not beyond a shadow of a doubt? No."

The Assistant D.A. ask further clarification. I reply, "The law is the law. That is what I have to make a decision based upon. Whether I believe that an addict will get the help needed in jail, that's a different story. That is how my mother's experience colors my view."

She seemed to like that. The defense didn't. What I didn't share was that I thought the whole drug court system over in Hempstead was fucked and that my mom had a shithead idiot for a boss and that most of the people going through there were going to get revolved around in a shit storm of a system. Sorry for the run in sentence.

What suprised me was that they didn't ask about my father's 25 years as a police officer sergeant. I would think that would color my views more, don't you? I mean, I disagree with my dad on a lot of points, but I know he's dealt with more scum that he probably wishes to remember. And I heard stories, saw stuff that most kids didn't get to hear. I loved what my dad said about racism and I'll combine it with what George Carlin says. So dad said, "I'm not a racist, I just hate everybody equally!" And he applied that to the mutts he dealt with. The mutts weren't all black or hispanic or white. There were fuck-ups of every breed. And you'd be amazed at the stupid shit they did. Ok, no you wouldn't. You're educated readers, you've been to the site The Darwin Awards.

Now I combine that with George Carlin and what he says about "innocent bystanders." There's no such thing. You were born. Your birth is proof of guilt. End of story. So the whole "innocent until proven guilty" thing. . .yeah, as much I am a liberal, I don't buy it. You get caught with by the police with herion, needles and other stuff. . . you had possesion of it. It wasn't planted. I mean, a crooked cop is going to plant a bag of weed of coke, but not a whole swarth of drug paraphenalia.

So yeah, I have a little bias, but who doesn't. And I can be impartial towards the Law. It is what it is, and the D.A. has to present the case, and prove it according to the law. That is what were are judging. I am not there to judge that whole system has failed, from the ground up.

I'm there just to be more bored and frustrated than at the D.M.V. And tomorrow I have to go back and sit in the general juror pool. At least they let me bring a book.