Jury duty-lite

A recent news article on new questions that will be asked of those called for jury duty made me remember my duties past. Plenty of people I know have never been called. I have - four times. The first three times, I had to report for at least most of the week, usually getting released Thursday night. Heck, the first time I went - many, many years ago before I gave up cigarettes - there was a "smokers' room" behind the jury gathering room.

The last time I went, it was only for one day. Bummer. But for today's jury duty, you call in the night before, then only go if your number is within the group they bring in. I know it's more convenient all-around, but I got a little nostalgic for jury duty of days gone by. It was a week's break from work and kind of fun.
Each time, I was tossed in with a bunch of strangers and wound up with "jury buddies." We'd hang out and chat in the gathering room and sometimes went to lunch together.

I met some characters. I remember one guy who told a judge that he didn't think he could be impartial on a case that involved a guy who was inebriated and showing off in front of his girlfriend on his motorcycle because he thought "between the hooch, the hog and the hormones, that guy's guilty!" That's one way to get quickly released from the jury box!