Jury Duty
A year after my flirtation with law school, I
finally got my day in court. Yesterday, I answered
a summons for jury duty and, for the first time,
was impaneled on a trial. Though I can't talk about
the specifics of the case here, as the matter is
still pending, I must say it has so far been quite
appealing to the writer in me. Much of the jury
instruction, witness testimony and attorney
examination has had elements of tedium, but at its
core the case is essentially a story whose ending
we 12 jurors get to write. There is drama, there is
conflict, there's a surfeit of plot, and of course
there is a cast of characters. The direct and cross
examination of witnesses, in its own way, is pure
storytelling. And since the whole affair boils down
to one man's fate, it's a very human story.
Though I can't make a judgment on the efficiency
of our legal system based on my experience serving
on the jury of just one court case, I do have a
greater measure of confidence after watching the
judge and attorneys in action. They have done their
job with the utmost professionalism, and it's quite
fascinating to behold. If I ended up in court for
whatever reason, I feel like I'd get a fair chance
at winning my case.
I had no intention of becoming a trial lawyer,
even while I was a law student. Though I have
enjoyed watching, participating as an observer, I
would certainly not want to stand up there in the
spotlight, performing for the judge and jury. The
esoteric, analytical aspects of the law stimulate
me intellectually, as they did during my semester
of law school. However, I find it telling that I've
watched this trial with the eyes of a writer,
seeing story, plot, conflict, drama and characters.
It has confirmed the wisdom of my decision to
abandon the pursuit of a legal profession in favor
of what my true calling has always been: to
write.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
|
|
