Privlege or Protection?

I finally have some times to blog about my experiences as a Juror.
This may have to be blogged in a couple of entries, though, so sit tight!

One thing I didn't expect as a Juror was the 'special treatment' we received.
We got a little paper with a red 'JUROR' stamp on it, so when we entered the courthouse, we could by pass the line and go straight to the front. Since everyone needs to get their bags scanned and walk through a metal detector, there's always a line. I wish I had a pass like that for the airport.

Also, there's a special area for us Jurors to eat lunch. Unfortunately, it's pretty crappy - just a long hallway with a bunch of chairs (no tables!). And we get our own bathroom!

However, I later started to suspect that our privleges were actually measures taken for our protection! We have our own bathroom because they don't ever want us in a private space with the accused. And yes, my accused was NOT in jail. He was on bail, so that meant he was free to go anywhere he wanted - including the cafeteria.

It never dawned on me that our safety was compromised until a fellow Juror got in trouble for taking the elevator. We always meet on the 3rd floor, and instead of taking the escalator, he took the elevator. And our Jury Wrangler (more on that later) told he wasn't allowed to use it. When asked why, she explained that the accused could have gone in with him. YIKES.

Lukily, I have not seen the accused again since the trial. Even though we gave him a 'guilty' verdict, he wasn't taken into custody. He's free until his Sentencing Hearing. I think I'll feel better when he's behind bars.