Doing My Civic Duty
I’ve been called for jury service four or five times over the years, and once was even appointed forelady and tasked with announcing the jury’s verdict to the judge.
One case I remember was about an accused shoplifter charged with taking clothing into a department store dressing room, removing all the price tags, and attempting to flee the store with the stolen goods.
The judge instructed us that jurors may not visit the crime scene and therefore Bloomingdales would be off limits for the duration of the trial.
That’s when I realized that doing one’s civic duty can demand real sacrifice!
RetroFlash / 100 Words
– Dana Susan Lehrman
Dana Susan LehrmanThis retired librarian loves big city bustle and cozy country weekends, friends and family, good books and theatre, movies and jazz, travel, tennis, Yankee baseball, and writing about life as she sees it on her blog World Thru Brown Eyes!
www.WorldThruBrownEyes.com
Tags:
Jurors, Trials, Shoplifting
Characterizations:
funny, well written
Ah – not being able to go into Bloomie’s for the duration of the trial; that is a hardship! But doing one’s duty is important, I agree. Dan and I have found a channel that runs old “Law and Order” shows constantly – he’s recorded dozens of them, so we now fancy ourselves experts on the subject (and it is really fun to watch those very early episodes and see young actors who went on to become really famous).
Thanx Betsy! Looking back I guess I survived without Bloomies for that week or so!
So proud of you for performing your civic duty and especially not frequenting Bloomingdale’s that week. Reminds me of when my mom served and couldn’t speak one word of the trial to any of us. Unfortunately I could never relate to our judicial system. I think I just found it hard to judge anyone.
Thanx Patty, I’m proud of myself too, I tried my best to be an intelligent and impartial juror and found every experience rewarding!
You did indeed have some experience in the courtroom—unlike so many of us who were excused. No surprise you were a forewoman. It seems most people do value the experience of serving on a jury once they get past the inconvenience, even be it avoiding Bloomingdale’s!
Thanx Khati. Indeed I did have only positive jury duty experiences I’m happy to say, and hope I did my part well.
As for Bloomingdales, I somehow survived that brief deprivation!
LOL, Dana! Loved your use of RetroFlash.
Thanx Laurie, I’m really not such a big shopper but I remember something funny when we moved into our uptown apartment.
The real estate agent explained that altho our building was very far east and one needed to take a crosstown bus to get to the subway, there was another bus that headed downtown, turned west on 57th St and stopped a block from a well-known emporium.
Like all New York buses, that one was identified by a number but, he told us, it’s usually called the Bloomingdales bus.
I hope I never get involved in a case involving a public restroom; I’d have to stay home for the duration.
Twas a dressing room Dave, not a public restroom, altho am sure restrooms have been crime scenes sad to say!
Dana, I love this very New York story! How funny that the judge instructed you to stay away from Bloomingdale’s just because the (alleged) crime occurred there. Really, he (I’m guessing it was a he) could have just told you to stay out of the dressing rooms and that would have served the purpose.
Ah, you’re right Counselor, maybe we jurors should have approached the bench with our complaint!
I liked your flash story, Dana, and found it odd that the judge didn’t want the jurors visiting Bloomingdale’s. What’s wrong with seeing for yourself how difficult or easy it would be to shoplift from their dressing rooms? Thanks for sharing your experience.
Jim, I actually wasn’t surprised as I had heard before that jurors cannot visit the scene of the crime! But of course I was taken with the humor!
Terrific story, Dana — right down to your clever featured image. But talk about “cruel and unusual punishment.” I mean, why couldn’t the shoplifting have been done at S. Klein or Alexander’s?
Your story also reminded me that, in the automobile accident case that was the first of my jury mini-stories, the judge also warned us not to visit the scene of the accident. However, it took place at the intersection of Broadway and 116th Street in Manhattan, right in front of the Columbia University gates. I then lived two blocks from that intersection (on Claremont Avenue), my subway stop was right there, and I knew from past experience how confusing that intersection was for drivers. So, while I didn’t visit the “scene” for purposes of the trial, I saw it every day. Yet another transgression of justice that I was guilty of.
Thanx John!
In your Columbia days did you eat at Katie & Vic’s, I think on Amsterdam?
And did you drink at the West End on Broadway? Both long gone of course.
Ah, those innocent years!