Show Bees WAXING by Mary Bee IVE I'VE HEARD THAT everyone can expect to be called at least once during his lifetime to serve on a jury but if everyone else has as bad luck as I have there never would be any jury trials finished Ive I've been called three times during the past two months but so far my success as a juror has been a bit limited For those of you who've never had your chance yet I thought Id I'd let you know how it works as far as Ive I've gone First you are served by bythe the law Now this isn't quite what it sounds like its not quite as badas bad badas as getting a summons or getting arrested but carries as much weight I mean if you were planning planning plan plan- ning on doing some shopping that day you'd better forget It Then all the potential jurors are herded Into the courtroom and asked questions questions like like are you a citizen and are you in your right mind If you weren't a citizen you wouldn't be on the jury list in the first place and if you weren't in your right mind you wouldn't admit it in front of your neighbors so they are pretty sure of the answers to these questions THEY WANT TO KNOW if you are a crook They They dont don't ever ask the l 1 lawyers a w wy y e r s this which seems a little ridiculous to tome mi me but I guess it doesn't matter about them Then they want to know if there is any good reason why you think maybe you cant can't be on their jury As Ive I've said before it had better be a good reason- reason like y you u are on your death bed with the or you are a school schoolteacher schoolteacher schoolteacher teacher or something terrible like that Now youre you're on your way They draw your name out of a little tin can you can sit in the thenice nice soft seats in the jury box Then the REAL questioning starts If IT you make it past both the judge and the lawyers youve you've got it made Before they are through you arent aren't sure who is on trial THE FIRST TIME I was called called called cal cal- led for fot a condemnation case I Iwas Iwas Iwas was going great guns and thought I was going to get my chance to serve on a real life jury until one of the lawyers decided he wasn't quite ready to go to trial yet so the whole party was postponed I never did find out what happened The second time I made It asfar asfar as asfar far as the jury box When the judge asked me if I knew any of the people involved or any of the particulars about the case I Iwas Iwas Iwas was real helpful I TOLD HIM I r didn't know the people but I knew w all about what had happened because Id I'd seen pictures and heard the whole story I even offered to give him some inside information information information tion on evidence that wasn't going to be allowed in court Just as I was ready to tell him i I r had already decided how the case should go and they could save a lot of time and bother if they'd listen to me he said maybe it was better if I didn't serve on this jury-after jury all a mans man's life was at stake and all that The next time I did even better I TOLD THE JUDGE sure I knew some of the people involved involved in involved in- in and had had some business business business busi busi- ness dealings with them but that surely wouldn't affect how I would decide the case for them The judge said ok Then one of the lawyers asked some questions questions just just how often and how extensive were my business dealings Personal or through the newspaper Id I'd barely got a chance to start listing all the business dealings dealings dealings deal deal- ings Id I'd had with the defendant when h he said maybe I wouldn't do after all Oh well my name is still on the list for another month maybe maybe maybe may may- may may- be next time Ill I'll get to find out what happens after they get through asking potential jurors their silly questions |