It was over before it even had a chance to begin.
The judge dismissed the jury today with the thanks of the court. He gathered us all around, explained to us that the case had been resolved without the need for a trial, so we were all free to go.
He didn’t say it explicitly, but my inference is that a plea bargain was reached between the defense and prosecution. Apparently this happens quite a bit; the prosecutor needs to look tough, like they’re actually going to go through with a trial, and finally the defense attorney caves in and cops a plea, rather than risking a trial.
I’m disappointed. I really wanted to serve my country. In some way, I suppose I did get that opportunity; the presence of a jury panel helped the criminal justice system work. But I didn’t get to see the actual courtroom drama (or lack thereof) unfold. I guess I really wanted to be involved in more of the process, to decide whether the guy was innocent or guilty. You know, all that good Law & Order kinda stuff.
So I’ve got the rest of the day off, courtesy of the U.S. Government. Ariella just finished the rest of her term papers, so we’re going to enjoy a mini half-day vacation. We’ll either go to Malibu to visit Cousin Diana at the yogurt store, or we’ll head down to The Happiest Place On Earth for some mindless entertainment.
Don’t worry, it’s usually not all it’s cracked up to be. I served a few years ago and ended up in a trial. The defense lawyer was a public defender and there were points when I almost yelled out questions that she was missing that would totally let her client off. In the end, it was somewhat sad. Luckily, the prosecution had little to no case, so even with the HORRID lawyer the kids got off. It’s definitely NOT what you expect after watching things like Law & Order and LA Law and such things over the years.
I think you should have called the judge “your highness” just to see what would happen.