Grand Jury Reunion

I am going to write about an event I was not even at because my back went out.

Basically I didn't go out because it did.

The reason I want to write about it is because I wanted to be there. And I wanted to be there more than I realized initially because, in thinking about it, I realized I went through a very intense month with these strangers on a Grand Jury and when it was over there was no closure. Almost like we were trapped in an elevator together for a month and then the doors opened and we dispersed. Forever.

I know there isn't enough to maintain close ties, but we sent many people to trial. There were drugs and attempted murders and rapes and domestic violence and robbery and then not so much as a coffee and a danish together afterwards to come down from what we had all been through.

So basically "we" went to La Bella Ferrara Café at 110 Mulberry Street. Once we had all arrived we made our way to Positano’s for 7:30pm and after dinner we returned to the Café for coffee and pastries.

What fun! What closure! I wish I was there.

Grand Jury is DISMISSED!

There's where Juror 7 sat and up there was Juror 12. He put his feet up a lot. Juror 17 fell asleep a lot. Juror 9 was an angel.


My view for a month.


I finished my final day as foreman on a Grand Jury. It was with mixed emotions. It is like getting stuck on an elevator for a month with 22 other people: you are relieved when doors open but you are going to miss every single one of them, yet you realize there is not enough to hold you together in the outside world. Some came up and told me what a great job I did. Wow. And many hugged me good bye. Juror 2's wife will have a baby soon. My assistant foreman is going to California to get married.

It was fun, it was hard work, I learned a lot about the law, myself and others and I will be forever grateful for the opportunity.

Me with my excellent secretary. (She blurred me out!)

The grand Grand Jury

CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING, MANHATTAN



I got a summons to appear for Grand Jury duty. Today was the day.

I had no idea the difference between grand and not so grand jury duty. Now I do.

After the long roll call process I was selected to sit and serve downtown Manhattan. The whole experience is straight out of Law and Order.

I have to serve for 4 weeks, M-F for 3 hours each day. Not a bad gig and I will be interested in the process. Always something out there to learn. And today I did. We had at a very New York training video with Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes (So sad, I miss him) and Sam Waterston from "Law & Order"! What other city gets that I ask you!

The video, DVD rather, explains the history of juries so fascinatingly well. Did you know the Israelites in BC formed a jury group called the Sanhedrins that amounted to 23 men which is the exact number we have today! And English Common Law from centuries ago had 23 on the Grand Jury. We are a part of global tradition when we serve our part. ( I drank all the lovely, historical Kool-Aid gladly.)

The court appointed me Foreperson as well. I fear I will turn into Tracy Flick from "Election" But then I thought, like her, it would be kind of cool if I made cupcakes for my other 22 servers and the warden and brought them tomorrow.

This is about all I will and can say about my service as the rest is sworn to secrecy and I plan to keep my promise.