Changes

May 31, 2007 at 8:26 PM
1 comment

hey all,

well, it's pretty obvious that i had some time on my hands. a new look, some new info about me (a book list - of books i've read), and i figured while i'm at it ... i'd compose a new blog entry.

these aren't the only changes ... i've had some changes happen in my life as well. earlier this month i finished a baby blanket ... one that was requested of me to make ... for payment. phew! finally! LOL! during this month (of May) i've had to call in to see if i had to report to the local courthouse (as part of a possible jury). the first time i called in was April 30th (last day of April), they said that my panel did not need to report to the courthouse. cool! one call in down, a few more to go. then i was supposed to call in that friday (May 4th) after 5pm (CST), but i forgot to call ... but called in the next day (Saturday, May 5th), and learned that my panel again did not have to report to the courthouse. alright! two down and still a few more to go. as far as i can recall, it was another call in on friday. this time i remembered, and my panel didn't have to report. okay, now only about two more times to call in and then i know i'll be free. On the next call in day, after 5pm (CST), i learned that the panel i was on had to report to the courthouse Tuesday, May 22nd at 8:30am.

okay, i'm not sure how it's broken down everywhere else ... this was my first jury summons since getting my driver's license and being a registered voter. but here in iowa they break us down into five panels; and i ended up in panel three. panel three was to be at the courthouse and signed in by 8:30am (CST). i got there probably a little bit before 8am (CST), waited for the gal to get ready and then after a couple of guys had signed in it was my turn. i signed in, and then headed downstairs (where they had all of us go after signing in). after sitting down there for awhile, someone finally came in and started the day's proceedings....going through jury information, and showed us the Iowa Jury video. after that was over the guy let us take a bathroom/smoke break. i went ahead and took advantage of the bathroom break ... deciding to do so after the head guy told us that once we were in the courtroom we wouldn't have the bathroom break. after a few minutes we headed upstairs to the second floor. (like an idiot i decided like most of the panel to go up the stairs -the whole way! UGH! Never Again! you prolly can't see it in my picture, but i am overweight ... this idea felt like it was gonna kill me. so once i found a bench to sit on, i sat down and let my heartrate and breathing slow down. well, a few minutes after my heartrate and breathing returned to normal i was still waiting outside the courtroom. a few minutes later, they called panel 3 into the courtroom. we all took a seat on the benches in the back, and then waited for the first 26 names to be called. i was the 4th name that was called. okay, so i had a seat in the jury box ... there was still a possibility that i could be excused. after they'd called the first 26 names, that the computer randomly picked, the judge started asking the 26 questions ... if anyone knew anyone on a list of witnesses. and then it was the prosecutions turn to ask the 26 questions. ....wait, first i believe the judge let us go for a lunch break and then it was the prosections turn to ask questions. then the defense asked the 26 questions. after all that was over, we went out to the hallway and once again waited. when we were called back in, we were allowed to talk amongst ourselves but we had to stay in our seats. the reason we were allowed to talk amongst ourselves is cuz at this point the attorneys were passing the list back and forth crossing off 12 names - 6 names a piece. once they were finished they handed it to the judge and then he handed it to the court attendant, to let her read off the 14 (12 + 2 alternates) names that were selected for the jury. she read the first name, phew...not mine. she read the second name, phew ... not mine. she read the third name, dang! i was the third name called for the 14 chosen.

okay, now back to the blog.

the court case went a total of 5 days. we did jury selection on tuesday, may 22nd ... and then started the actual court case the following day ... wednesday, may 23rd. we came back thursday and friday, and then had a 3 day weekend - thanks to Memorial Day on monday. we came back for closing arguments, jury stuff from the judge, and then deliberations. we, the 12 jurors, took only a few minutes to reach our verdict. we actually had to wait for lunch get there, eat and finish eating, and then we went back into the courtroom. our foreman, after the judge told him to do so, stood up and stated his name. then walked over and handed the judge our verdict. he read it to himself and then read it aloud to the court. this guy was up for 3 charges: Serious Injury by Automobile -- Thomas ------, Serious Injury by Automobile -- Amanda --------, Operating A Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated (OWI). we found the guy ... on all three charges ..... guilty of OWI. we let out around 1pm, so i headed back to my friend's house to relax for about 45 minutes.

after that i got my stuff together ... as i've been staying over at my friend's house while i had jury duty .... and then headed to my mom's (and my friend's) place of employment. about a block away i missed a call from my mom, so i called her back. she asked where i was, and i told her ... she told me that that was good cuz my sister was going to be having her C-Section at 3pm that day. so i put my things in the trunk of the car and head into the hospital (Mercy Medical Center). we finally got up there (to the baby floor), and found the room that they put her in. and waited for them to take the daddy into the c-section room. well, after awhile they took daddy into the room and showed my sister's best friend up to the observatory room. the ones left in the room could hear the baby before we got to see her....she's a loud one. LOL! My first niece; Katherine Kay, weighed 8 lbs., 15 oz., and was 22 in. long. here let me show you my beautiful niece: