Jury Duty

Yep, that's right, jury duty. In case you've been wondering why this poor blog hasn't been updated in a week it's because I've been couped up in a room with 30 other people for four days. We have all been waiting to be questioned to be a possible juror in a very high profile case here in Charlotte and it's been AWFUL! First of all, let's just say that the case involved 8 different charges including first degree murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, and robbery all x2 for each of the teenage girls that were killed. I could go on and on about how miserable the entire experience was and how much the entire jury system needs redoing, but instead I'll just share some things that I've learned this week.

• The legal system is very complex and full of loop holes. Apparently you can commit murder and get a lesser charge because you decided to use drugs or alcohol before hand.
• When thrown together under such circumstances, 30 very diverse people can quickly become friends.
• "Jury duty is just that, a DUTY as a citizen" I can't count how many times I heard this.
• There is no limit to the amount of time for attorneys to select 12 jurors and 2 alternates. I sat for 4 days and was finally released without being asked one question. The process of selecting 14 people for this case took a total of about 8 days.
• When it comes to confidentiality, there really is none in the courtroom. Everyone who was questioned had their dirty laundry aired in front of the entire court. In addition, the man charged with these 8 awful crimes was able to thumb through 11 pages of my personal information at his own convenience during the jury selection.
• I have the best friends in the world! Kristin, Elaine, and Donna pitched in and took care of Savannah the entire time I was in court. They went out of their way by coming to my house to babysit, changing their play dates, watching her several times, and even making a meal for us to have for dinner last night! I love you girls!
• Being a stay at home mom is my calling and is the best job ever. It took me less than 2 days to figure out that I could NEVER be a working mom. Getting up before 6 to run, coming home after an entire day in court, fighting traffic at 5:00, trying to catch up on chores, cleaning, and then trying to find time to spend with Savannah?? No sir. Not for me.

This was an awful experience, but God really revealed to me how special my job is and how much I take it for granted. If you ever get tired of being a stay at home mom, just sign yourself up for some jury duty and I promise it'll change your mind and heart!