This morning I participated in our second most important civic responsibility: Jury Duty. Judge Antonio DelCampo gave out pep talk and warned us that even if we did not get seated for a trial we had done a very important service to the judicial system simply through our mere presence. Yes, I know that barely two percent of all cases actually come to trial, and that there is something magic in a trial date that causes defendants and prosecutors to come to terms. But this is my 7th time to wind up outside of a courtroom waiting to be called only to be sent home at lunch. I guess I am supposed to feel lucky, but at some point I would at least like to make it to the Q&A part. It IS always interesting; Dekalb County is often reported to one of the most diverse counties in the US, and Jury Duty is one of the few places where you get the full cross section of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. The coolest thing about it is that nobody knows each other but everyone mingles together almost immediately – I guess it is the “civic-ness” of the whole thing. The only really strange thing was the dude that showed up dressed in his running outfit. weird.

Oh, and in case you are wondering: our most important civic responsibility? Voting. That is straight from Judge DelCampo’s speech.