Friday, June 13, 2008

A Fairy Tale (really)


I’m not saying this is about me, you understand. But this person I know lives about a mile from a really nice courthouse in the suburbs. She/he received a summons for jury duty, at the courthouse 20 miles away in a really bad area of the BIG city nearby. Well, 20 miles away, nearby.


So he/she being a big chicken about driving to the really bad area of the BIG city, ignored the summons.


Another one came. Still not for the really nice courthouse in the suburbs. Again for the courthouse 20 miles away in a really bad area of the BIG city.


She/he got mad and tore that summons in half before he/she threw it in the garbage.


One more time - a summons arrived in the mail. There was much cursing and flying expletives when it was retrieved from the mailbox. His/her sense of fairness was totally assaulted! She/he was perfectly willing to serve on a jury in the nice courthouse in the suburbs about a mile from his/her house. Why did they want to make him/her pee in her/his pants while driving to and arriving in the bad part of town in the BIG city????? What was wrong with asking him/her to serve in the courthouse that was so nice and clean and close to his/her house?


There was much pulling of hair and wringing of hands over that summons. It did not appear they were going to give up and decide they must have a faulty address for this citizen they were trying to contact. They must know she/he was ignoring their orders to report for his/her civic duty. What to DO!?!??


He/she rendered that summons thoroughly unreadable by ripping it into itty bitty pieces and rendered it irretrievable by burying it in the bottom of the kitchen garbage can.


That was over 2 years ago. Now, she/he lives with the silent torment, waiting for the day when they will come to his/her door to make her/him go to the bad neighborhood in the BIG city nearby. 20 miles away, nearby.


Oh, if only she/he could have the option of pleading ‘no contest’ at the nice big courthouse in the suburbs that is so close to his/her house!


He/she would promise to go next time!


(IF it was at the nice big clean courthouse in the suburbs…)


The End.


**Edited to add - For those of you who have missed Lavender from The Birds & The Beads for some months now, she is back! Head on over and welcome her if you'd like. :)



7 comments:

  1. Makes you wonder if everyone in the BIG city has already been called - geeze, thats not comforting either, sorry! Teeheehe
    I guess if your friend gets another letter, they will have to give in and go. If only to get it over with, eh?
    Thank you BetteJo for your messages over these last months, I really appreciated them, Cheers!

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  2. They also don't get the timing right but then they wouldn't know! The one and only time I was served jury duty was right after the birth of a child. My doctor had to write me a note. They also don't seem to notice people's ages either. My doctor mentioned she had to write a note for an elderly patient (over 90) who could barely leave her house let alone go to a courtroom!!

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  3. I have a feeling if this person I know gets another summons - he/she will ignore it again. She/he isn't very smart in that way. Glad you're back!


    Yes, I believe he/she may have to get a doctor's note at some point. Is being neurotic a valid excuse?

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  4. I have received several summons over the years but because I was away at school or didn't live in the right county, I haven't had to do it. Other people never get a summons and they want to do it. It's crazy how that works.

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  5. I have received several summons over the years but because I was away at school or didn't live in the right county, I haven't had to do it. Other people never get a summons and they want to do it. It's crazy how that works.

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  6. I say if the stoopid courthouse can't get the locale right *and* insists on continuing to send summons that are completely illegible (cough cough), then your friend simply has no other choice.

    I've missed readin' you, missy! And I can't imagine that the mean ole jury selecting people would want you, er... i mean *your friend* to pee her pants!!!!

    :)

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  7. Look how pretty this post is on your own blog instead of mine! Yay!

    Heh.

    My jury duty was an hour and ten minutes away. You are a wimp but I love you anyway.

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