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I don't know about all of you, but I've seen plenty of movies and television shows with a jury scene, either during a trial or less often during jury selection, though I don't recall seeing someone open an envelope with a letter inside summoning that person for jury duty.
A few of those 'jury duty' letters have found their way in my mailbox over the last thirty years.
Those letters weren't sent by courier or registered mail. They were just normal letters sent through regular mail. On the top left corner, it said it was from the Provincial Justice and Solicitor General - Jury Management.
The letter summons you to report to the court house on a given day at a certain time for jury selection. It also gives you five days to request an exemption.
The first letter was addressed to my oldest child while she was in university in a different province. She was exempted. A few years later, a second letter was delivered, this time it was addressed to my youngest child while he was also in university in a different province. He was also exempted.
Around that same time, I'd gone back to writing murder/mysteries, so it sounded very interesting to be on jury duty, to witness the process behind the scene. I wish I'd been summoned, but I thought the odds of a third letter ever ending in my mailbox were slim to none.
Fifteen years later, a third letter arrived. This time it was addressed to my husband. I wasn't impressed to see his name on the envelope, and he wasn't impressed to see his name either, but for the opposite reason. He couldn't afford to take time off work to be on jury duty, but that didn't count as a valid excuse. So, he went to the court house, waited and waited as the people summoned were interviewed, secretly hoping that the jury would be selected before his turn came. He was called in, was asked questions by the defence and the prosecution, and eventually rejected.
I would have been disappointed to be rejected. Needless to say, he wasn't.
Well, I thought we'd beaten the odds with three summons within the same household. Was I ever wrong!
Last week, I found a fourth 'jury-duty' letter in my mailbox. Guess who it was addressed to? 😒 Yes, my husband. Again. This time he'll more than likely be exempted, but still...
I think it's the universe telling me that I will never serve on jury duty.
Enjoy the summer. It's still hot in my northern corner of the world.
JS
