that was fast...

Well, the 4-5 day trial I got picked for went less than an hour. I showed up at the courthouse promptly at 9AM and got to sit and wait. Apparently there was a delay in the courtroom. Of course, we on the jury weren't told what was happening, just that we had to wait. Oh-kay...
After 40 minutes of sitting and talking to 11 other peolpe about everything and anything but what we were there for, because talking about the trial before deliberations is a no-no, we were finally led into the courtroom. Hmmmm...that's odd, where's the defendant? The judge tells us to have a seat and then proceeds to tell us that the guy decided to plead guilty and he had been setenced to 25 years. Thanks very much. You are released from duty. And out we went with no idea what happened. As we were getting our money (yes, they pay you for this. A whole $20 for 2 days service. That covered my gas and a lunch) the Assistant D.A. comes in to explain what the guy did to get 25 years. Apparently he was DWI and managed to hit a car carrying his sis-in-law and her two kids and flip them into a ditch. As it was his third felony he fell under the three-strikes laws. I was glad I didn't have to serve for 4 days but I'd have loved to have seen some of the evidence in the trial...

P.S. Happy Birthday, Mom! You are now officially a senior citizen.