This week, I had my first jury duty summons. It was…underwhelming. I kept thinking there was something amiss. You see, after arriving at 8:30am our first day, the judge dismissed us around 10:30am. There were two cases on the docket that day. The first had reached a settlement, and the second had a defendant who waived his jury trial. With a docket of two cases, and a pool of around thirty potential jurors, I was almost certain most of us would be picked. But I guess jurisprudence can change at the last moment.

It feels like when I’d complete a test within a fraction of the allotted time in school. Was the test duplex-printed and I didn’t look at the other side? Did I skip something? Was there some other component I hadn’t heard about? It was just astonishing. I’d been told two months in advance of my summons. I’d pushed off appointments and plans until this week’s conclusion because I was unsure of the duration of my service. I was prepared to be interviewed and analyze things. Truth be told, I thought it would be good practice for job interviews and maybe a chance to network, but I digress.

Anyway, the way my state law is, I won’t have to do this for another three years, if that. I was nervous, but those nerves were in vain. I hope I can make a judicial difference…one day.