Jury Duty

Hello All,

I am going to suspend formalities today to let you know what I have been up to. I wish this post was about anything but what I am about to tell you. For the past week and a half I have been performing my civic duty. I was one of the unfortunate people who get called up for jury duty. I really didn't think they would pick me to sit on this case and pass judgment, but to my surprise they did. I should have known something was up by the type of questions they asked me but I clearly wasn't thinking correctly at the time. My trial was a horrific murder case. I remember when it happened and I said to myself who could do something like that to another individual. Without going into to much detail I will give you a synopsis of what I have been going through.

Close your eyes and imagine a young couple out taking a stroll along the beach and now imagine a gang kidnapping this young couple and holding them captive for a week. During that week the gang repeatedly rapes the girlfriend and tortures her in front of her boyfriend. Finally, they end this young girls life and stab the boyfriend over forty times leaving him for dead. That is the case I had to sit in judgment of for a week and half. I listen to testimony that I can still hear in my ears and when I close my eyes I can still see the photos of a young beautiful girl gone to soon. What made it even more difficult was that this case was a capitol punishment case. I am not going to discuss politics because I believe everyone has a right to an opinion, but I will say that I was very uncomfortable sentencing a man to his death. When it was time to deliberate it was just like the Glen Ford and Henry Fonda movie Twelve Angry Men. Every one's ideology came into play it got pretty heated at times, because we wanted to make the right decision. I guess your really don't know what you are capable of doing until you are put into a situation. I am just glad it is over and done with and I hope that I will never ever have to serve jury duty again. However, it wasn't all bad. I was a guest of the State of Florida and they put us jurors up at a lovely establishment the "El Conquistador Motel". You heard me right I said motel as in sleep with your clothing on, don't use the tap water to brush your teeth and you would be safer peeing in the street than using the toilet in the motel room. But I will save my "Conquistador" stories for another day. Lets just say the "diva" was not a happy camper.

Hugs & Kisses,
Cam