Well that was eventful. Yesterday I got a text from my second in command who informed me that he has strep, and as such cannot come to work until Wednesday at the earliest. Seeing as that would leave the school without any IT support. I emailed both the Head of School and COO to provide me with a letter on company letterhead asking for my jury duty to be deferred. I thought it would be a good idea. The COO didn’t even reply, but the Head of School did. He said he’ll try, but it won’t work. I said this:
He didn’t reply to this for some odd reason. Never got a letter from either one of them, so I figured they just wanted me to go. So I went. The courthouse is on University Avenue, across from the American consulate. You go through security, and then to the end of a hallway, when you sit in what’s known as the jury “lounge.” They sign you in and divide you into four groups. I was red. We sat, and then they played us a video made in the 1980s. It was terrible. The construction worker, everyday man was amazing, but I think my favourite was the judge.
Then they informed us that anyone with any issue should raise their summons, and they’d collect them, and call them. There was a small coffee counter, so I grabbed a green tea and a mediocre muffin. Mediocre was a lot better than I expected. I sat there and read Have Not Been The Same. After a while they started calling those who handed in their summons (aka, those weaseling out of jury duty), and went over why they couldn’t serve. I sat there reading, as I expected to be there for the long haul. They called people. My favourite was when they called Adam Vaughan. I was confused, turned around, and sitting a few rows behind me was City Councillor Adam Vaughan, and he was trying to weasel out of jury duty. I can’t blame him, as I was soon about to do that, AND he has much better things to do, like represent his ward in council.
Then they called the blue group to go into a court room for the selection process. I loved the announcement because they reminded them to turn off their pagers and cell phone… their pagers…. their pagers… yes, we’re in the 1990s.
Around that point I got a call from the COO, asking me how long I anticipated being there. I had no answers. She mentioned that it was a shame I didn’t ask for a letter earlier (I didn’t know my first officer would have strep), and then I asked if she wanted me to try. She did.
So I went up and tried, and after standing in line, I was told that I can get out if I promise to come back in September. I weaseled out!