Today's Malady

One month ago I got a letter for jury duty. 😕 Not exactly what I'd planned but nothing that would be unbearable ... until my sister got engaged and is getting married....you guessed it...the same week I'm scheduled for jury duty.

On the bottom of this notice I see...in order to try to get out of your duty, show up the Friday prior to the Monday's reported show time.

SO today is that Friday....only I got the times mixed up. I showed up at eight a.m. and was notified that I needed to come back at three p.m.

Here's how it goes:

Me: "Really?" dumbfounded that I didn't read my notice more clearly.
Security Guard: "Yes, but what's your reason for trying to get out."
Me: "I'm the only one who can take and pick up my son for school. I can't be in
two places at once. Plus my sister's wedding is next week... I'm the matron of honor."

Security Guard: "Oh, just don't come back this afternoon...nothing will happen to you. They'll just extend it, but you'll be okay. I'll just tell them you won't be able to make it."

Me: "Seriously?"

S.G.: "Yes, you'll be fine. See ya next time."


Walking out, something just didn't sit right with me, and it wasn't just that I had to pay eight dollars to park for the wrong time of day at court. So I got in my car and called the number listed on the summons.

Me---explaining what happened.
Court Clerk: "Ummm Ma'am, you'd have a bench warrant issued for you if you didn't show up. No one has the right to excuse you except the judge. What was this security officer's name?"

Me---telling her his name

Court Clerk: "Okay I'm heading over to him right now. We've had a problem lately with no show's and have had to issue a bunch of bench warrants. He's probably the reason."

Me----explaining that I'd rather not get him in trouble as he knows my name and address from the court summons he was examining when we were talking in the court lobby.

Court Clerk: "Sorry he needs to be reprimanded. Just be here this afternoon. Oh, and by the way, the judge rarely lets people out of jury duty so be prepared for that. He may reschedule you, but you probably won't be released."

Okay, so now I have three choices. Obviously, I'm going back and hope I don't run into the reprimanded crazy security guard, who knows all my personal info.

I can then:

A) Either throw myself at the mercy of the judge to hopefully get rescheduled, as my hopes of getting out of it are now dashed.

B) If selected to come, no matter what. I will answer whatever question they have with the death penalty in mind, and tailor my answers to hopefully get thrown out.

C) If that doesn't work....just not show up on Thursday and Friday and have a bench warrant for my arrest.

Fun Stuff I've got going on here! Yay me!

I was explaining the whole jury process to my son last night and why I was going to be in court. He asked, "Mommy are you the one getting thrown in jail?"

"No sweetie, I'd be the one, if chosen, helping decide someone else's fate on going to jail or not."

Hmmmm did my son have a premonition? Let's hope not!

---update on this, as many have asked is listed down in comments. :)