Jury Duty Action Report

I dodged another bullet and managed to avoid being picked for a jury again. Roughly one-third of those reporting that day were selected, and one bailiff asked for 42 people to pick from. It must have been a controversial trial to request that many for the pool, so I’m really glad I missed that one.

Of the two-hundred plus jurors in the room, there were only two people that looked Hispanic and maybe another two or three that might have been. Since the Hispanic population of Smith County is about 20-25%, there should have been at least forty in the pool, and since you theoretically need to read and write English to become a citizen, that shouldn’t have been an issue. The other answer I see is that most of the Spanish speaking population of Smith County is here illegally. No surprise, but very irritating.

It always amazed me the way some folks dress when they appear for court. One guy was in flip-flops, shorts and tee shirt. One young woman had hip huggers that didn't hug high enough, and a top that also failed to cover what her pants revealed. Her face was full of studs and a she sported a big tattoo. If I was the judge, I'd find them in contempt...but then I'm getting awfully crotchety.