Jury Dooty

Where to begin.....

I've been on call for Jury Duty all week and thought there was noway they'd call me in after Wednesday. So I call in yesterday after I was so pleasently reminded by my phone alarm and what do I hear? "Please report to Jury Duty tomorrow" .
WHAT?? SHIT.
Not only do I have to report to Jury Duty but I had to report to the Downtown LA Courthouse at 7:45AM. Two of my least favorite things - Downtown LA and waking up before the sun is up.

I manage to get there with no major mishaps ( I even missed my exit and still managed NOT to get lost...this is big for me). Parking was super easy. Although, once I got out of the parking garage I had no idea where I was going. I saw some people that looked like they knew where they were going so I followed them until I asked a man if he knew where the courthouse was. He told me but sorta smiled and looked down....why is this guy laughing at my question?? I look down and my ENTIRE left breast is just chilling outside of my cardigan sweater vest. Ok, not my actual breast, but my bra. Needless to say it was a classic Katie moment and I was mortified for the rest of the walk to the courthouse.
Note to self: Check to make sure all body parts are covered before exiting house or car.

Now if you have never experienced Jury Duty, as I had not until today, let me tell you, it's terrible. You are stuffed into a room with 75 or so other people who are as miserable as you are, and then you listen to a lady talk at you on a microphone. Then you sit and wait.

And wait somemore.

Yeah, then you wait.

They also managed to make the chairs so its impossible to get comfortable. Can't a girl sleep while she waits??

Then finally, we are informed that we are needed in the Criminal Courts Building.
CRIMINAL COURTS.

Before we report there, we are give a 2 hour lunch break.
There isn't much around there so I found myself at the cafe at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion where I sat outside next to a gorgeous fountain:



I couldn't help but feel like it was 1985 again because so many women walked past me in their business attire but wearing their Reboks.

I finally made it over to the Criminal Court House where myself and about 300 other jurors filled the hallway waiting to be brought in to our selected courtrooms. Of course my group was the one that had to wait for an hour. I knew going into this building this case wasn't going to be some neighbor dispute, I was hoping I wouldn't get a murder case. Of course once we filed into the courtroom, I found out it was for a murder case. I was surprised we had to sit in the same room as the accused murders. Not only would a 15 day trial be a HUGE financial burden but there was NOWAY I could handle seeing pictures of the victim.
After explaining my financial issues with the judge and her dismissing us for 20 minutes to make her decision (and me having the funniest conversation with the gay bizzaro twin of my ex boyfriend from when I was 18) I was dismissed.

I got my green slip and got in my car just in time for traffic.