Civic duty
I got a jury summons. I have to report at 8 freaking 15 in the morning on August 27th. I’m marked as a standby juror, but I’ve been told by others that everyone’s a standby juror. You just go into a big pool of people and wait around all day and get paid $20. I’m not sure if I actually get to keep the money. Georgia’s laws about employers not being allowed to punish people serving jury duty have been interpreted to include that jurors must be paid their regular salary while absent, but that could mean my regular salary minus the twenty bucks I get from the county. I wonder if I kept that company policy handbook.
Some people see jury summonses as an inconvenience, but I think it’s great. I don’t really know much about the legal system. All of my knowledge comes from Law & Order and that Henry Fonda movie, and, since the law ensures that I can’t be punished by my employer (assuming I don’t get fired in a month for something else), it’s like a free educational vacation. I hope I get picked for something big.
I’m not sure what exactly is expected by “Proper attire is required.” The couple of times that I’ve had to appear in traffic court I’ve worn khakis and a polo shirt, which is way nicer than anything I wear day to day, but hey, I’m not the one on trial here. Twelve Angry Men shows jurors in suits and fedoras and stuff like that, but people dressed up before getting on an airplane or seeing a movie back then. I wonder if I still have khakis that fit. I’ll probably end up losing another pocket knife.
What should I do to try to get selected for a jury? Is a college degree a disadvantage? What book should I read? Should I leave the Sartre at home and try to be seen reading a Dan Brown novel or something like that instead? Do I get to keep the little notebook? Do I have to bring my own? I should probably keep my mouth shut about jury nullification, but I can’t think of other ways to be a good everyman.