elfs | The Jury, Episode 9: The Verdict

It takes something like half an hour to assemble everyone. Even with our decision made, we still talk about it. Passing judgement. We BS a lot of other things, too, like what we do for a living, we talk about our kids, stuff like that.

One juror relates that he dated a woman who never paid for parking. She'd run the numbers, and gotten used to the procedure of getting her car out of the impound, and had decided that paying the fees was cheaper than actually paying the lots. It's an interesting line of reasoning, and I might run those numbers myself just to see what comes of them. Of course, the one time I parked illicitly in the past ten years, I got caught, so my luck isn't as good as hers.

The bailiff comes and gets us. We get into line to go back into the courtroom. We're seated. Mr. Landry and Miss T are there, but Koenig isn't. I've got the verdict in my hand. I'm terrified that I'll mess this up, even though I have nine people backing me up.

The judge says, "Has the jury reached a verdict?"

I say, "The jury has, your honor."

Mr. Koenig is on the speakerphone, which looks just like the ones we have at work. She reads the verdict, and says the zero for future economic damage clearly, but without surprise. "Mr. Sternberg, is that the verdict of the jury?"

"Yes it is."

"And is that also your verdict?"

"Yes it is."

She then goes to each and every juror. Nine other people say that it is the verdict of the jury, and it is his or her verdict. Two say it is not his or her verdict, but agree that it is the verdict of the jury. The judge files the verdict with the court and then she releases us from our duty and our oath of secrecy, making it clear that we're free to say whatever we want about the case now that we're done.

I feel... drained. Blah. It was a compromise. My only reassurance is that nobody is really happy about this. Nobody "won." Not of the case, not in the jury. That's okay with me: if nobody feels they won, then no mistakes were made, because this is one of those things in life where the only questions are about how much or how little you lose. Winning isn't part of the expectations.

A little while later, the judge cames back to shake our hands. The bailiff handed out "certificates of recognition" while the judge asks if we got along. Yes, we did. She tells us that the lawyers are out in the hallway and are willing to talk to us about their "performance." I remember that word clearly; I thought it was a strong word, especially after my description of Koenig.

Someone asked her about the summons. I related my story of the woman behind the counter at the fast food restaurant I'd hit yesterday and said, "That makes my point. Jurors have certain virtues in common. Does that really make us, compared to the people that come before the court, really, you know, peers?" She conceded that that was a very good point, but the system was doing the best it could with what it had. "Besides, we're not really interested in issuing bench warrants for ordinary citizens and the police prioritize to get the dangerous guys first, so it's very unlikely that anything will happen."

And we shook hands again and said goodbye, and then I walked out of there, probably to never see or hear from any of my fellow jurors ever again.