The Disgruntled Juror

I was called in for jury duty. I didn't really want to go - heard mostly bad things about jury duty. I heard I would wait all day, be bored out of my mind, and to bring a lot books. For the most part, it wasn't like this at all. The process of signing in and getting assigned to a case was kind of tedious and fraught with multiple explanations because no matter how simple the task or how clear the instructions, someone was always messing up. I mean, really, how difficult is it to park in the correct lot?
My favorite example of herd mentality was when we were required to fill out a survey. No one told us what to do with the survey once filled out so most of us thinking people just decided to hold on to them. Unfortunately for the human race, one person, overwhelmed by the lack of direction, put their survey in the closest "basket" they could find. This turned out to be a waste basket. And it didn't just turn out to be a waste basket, it was a waste basket. There was no mistaking it. It wasn't a waste basket disguised as a small tray for turning in survey, it was just a trash can. For trash. And after one person made this seemingly obvious mistake, OTHER PEOPLE FOLLOWED.
Seriously.
So yesterday I was chosen for a jury and heard a little bit about the case and then we were dismissed for the day. This morning we were back bright and early to start the trial. It took about three hours and was actually very interesting. I won't get into the details but it was a criminal charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell. By the end of the trial I was keyed up. I mean, the judge was falling asleep, but I was TOTALLY ready to go throw down in deliberation. I was pretty sure my opinions would not be popular because I was convinced he was not guilty considering the only evidence was the circumstantial evidence presented by the cop who didn't actually see anything. And basically the prosecutor was asking the jury to just listen to the cop because...he's a cop. And this kid was a teenage African American boy so of course he was lying. The cops that testified were so frickin arrogant it made my fists clench. They don't even give a damn that what they "think" they know about drug dealers and users could ruin this kids life. They don't give a damn that what they saw may or may not be the truth. They just want to be right, they want us to justify their prejudice by rendering a guilty verdict.
All throughout the trial I had that Feist song "I Feel it All" stuck in my head with the poignant line "The truth lies...." suddenly taking on a whole new meaning for me.
And then.
They had to release two people because a jury is actually only made up of 12 plus 2 alternatives in case someone gets sick. And without any notice, my name was randomly pulled...and I was dismissed. Just like that, I don't matter anymore. My vote no longer counts. I have to sit for two days and listen to this, get emotionally involved, believe I am a part of this process that I did NOT volunteer for...and then I'm out. I just have to leave.
I was livid. I still am, actually. I'll get a phone call when a verdict is reached. It's been about four hours now and still no phone call.
I guess there's more I could say about this but, really, what's the point?