Just when I thought that I couldn’t do one more thing, I was summoned for jury duty this week. Trying to maintain the proper attitude about this rite of citizenship, I ventured forth each morning muttering something about my civic duty and I was sure it certainly would be the last day of this adventure. Finally, by noon on Thursday, I was headed to my office and ready to resume my usual routine without having to pass judgment on anyone; i.e., in any official sort of way. However, I have made these observations:
During the seemingly endless time of waiting, Horry County residents upheld the Southern tradition of making personal connections by asking – Where do you live? Who do you know? What church do you attend? Even two guys from New York played the game and discovered they knew someone in common in their home state.
The court officials were very courteous, reminded us frequently how important our service was and explained the events of the day with clarity. The new courthouse means that the needs of all are accommodated comfortably. This was definitely my best jury duty experience from this standpoint.
This part of South Carolina is becoming quite diverse as evidenced by those of us in the jury pool room, but folks here still haven’t learned to do it right like they do it back home in New York or New Jersey. (So, why did you move here?)
Even with the distraction of doing some serious people watching, I got to read much of an interesting book, The Shack by William Young. Comments about this will probably appear in another post.
The consensus of my new friends is that the latest Grand Strand traffic nightmare will be the area around the Hard Rock Park and that Stuart Axelroad puts on quite a show in the courtroom.
And, trial lawyers don’t seem to be interested in having clergy serve on juries. Thank you, Lord!
1 comment:
"This part of South Carolina is becoming quite diverse as evidenced by those of us in the jury pool room, but folks here still haven’t learned to do it right like they do it back home in New York or New Jersey."
Your above quote is precisely the scenario that is making it increasingly difficult for us Southerners to get a trial with " a jury of our peers". Do we demand a mis-trail on the grounds that we are being denied our constitutional rights? This,of course, is a partially tongue-in-cheek observation to comment on our ever so complicated and ever changing small world. Just when you thought it was safe to quit thinking about our legal system......duntah-duntah-duntah-
duntah............something else looms dangerous in the water.
Are we becoming a society so amalgamated yet so disassociated that we begin to lose the sense of adult peer groups and thus the sense of safety in numbers? If demographic changes dictate psychographic changes, do psychographic changes then dictate psychological changes within individuals that make up a demographic. Maybe just the very idea of a resource depleting, traffic clogging, Pixel Pic invading, scream from the landscape stress monster new theme park has already made me nuts. tom
Post a Comment