After four days of interviews I was finally excused from jury duty. I related to the court how a family member had been negatively affected by a similar case, and although I said that I could be fair, the defense did not think so.
Not offended by their opinion of my (lack of) objectivity, I left the courtroom with a smile. The State would not capture the next six weeks of my life.
My dismissal was easy to predict, but the decision took three-and-a-half days too long. So why did I and most of the hundred other good citizens put up with this process? Because each of us could imagine sitting in the same spot as the defendants, and we are not willing to dispense with the system that--for all its inefficiency, complexity, and mind-numbing procedures--protects us all.
© 2013 Stephen Yuen
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