Wipe out Friday.

G'day Everyone.

Well, it had to happen. It's Wipe out Friday. Even on Friday (knock on wood) the 13th! *shudder*

The reason why I'm wiped out is that I'm emotionally drained from the last few days. From Tuesday's emotionally charged day at my best friend's home, I'm glad I could help him but still very concerned for him. He's got to make some serious decisions for himself. I'm in hopes down the road that I'll get a job somewhere and he and I will be roommates later. There's a lot of praying to do about that. I just can't exactly explain what happened between him and I. Please don't ask. Thank you.

After a brief respite of being back home on Wednesday didn't give me enough of a moment's peace. Thursday came in with vengeance at me. (that is, high winds day in my area). That day was COURT Thursday. I was called up for jury duty on this day. So I can tell you this much about of my experience.

Thursday, I got up early AM to shower, breakfast, and eventually drive down to the parking deck despite the high winds that were making every thing slow down. It was pretty much a nasty day. I arrived at the court house and after passing through the security stuff, I made my way up to 2nd floor. Once there, I was obviously disappointed. Why? My local court didn't recognize of what I wrote on my registration card, when I got the notification, I sent it back that I was deaf. So here I was, stuck in a room alone with hearing people. I had to depend on lipreading and my hearing aid as the best I could do. Hearing people do what hearing people do. They just don't stand still.

After registering at the table and getting my juror badge, I sat. I listen to the opening remarks and sat to be called in by our names. About groups of 40 people were ushered into a court room for jury selection. The first group were called. Then the 2nd group was called. I got in with the 3rd group list. After the line up to file into the court room, it got interesting but tough from there.

Now, fate might have played safe with me (or so I thought). I was on the far right side of the benches. For a moment, it looked like nothing would happen for me. Hearing these people were tough. The judge (male) had a nice LOUD voice though the speaker system. But the defense lawyer was tough to hear and lip read as well as the prosecutor. Fate acted up (should have been my warning). One juror got dismissed and the man next to me was pulled to sit in his seat.

In the next instant, I was hearing another juror got dismissed and guess what? I was tapped and told to sit in the empty seat on the other side of the benches. Just my luck! We were the last 25 people kept in the court room and the ones on the far side of the benches (where I just sat before) were sent to lunch and told to come back at 2pm in the afternoon. LUCKY DAMN STIFFS!

Well, try as I might to challenge the judge that I need an interpreter, it was brushed aside. The judge was convinced that I could hear enough with the audio system in the jury box and since the court rooms are small (round chambers), he thinks I should do ok. *sigh* The next thing I knew the prosecutor and the defense lawyer (d-lawyer) flip through the questions to ask the jury to insure it would be neutral jury. All the while, as I listened to what the judge was saying about the court stuff, the prosecutor and d-lawyer were passing the list of the jurors back and forth. This was the selection process at it's best. (forget what you've seen on tv about individual questioning stuff). In the end when the clerk got the paper, names were called.

Want a *SHOCKED* moment? Try being me.

As the clerk was reading the names of the people in to the jury box, I was silently praying "not me, not me! Oh Lord, NOT ME PLEASE!". In the next instant, I heard my name called and I was ushered into the box. I was shocked that I was chosen to be on the jury! In the back of my mind, "whoa, this can't be real!".

So, as I listened, the judge dismissed the never picked bunch of people to come back at 2pm for the next round of court stuff. Damn Lucky stiffs!!

My jury was selected for a criminal trial stuff. It's suppose to be for a one day stuff in March. After that, we were all dismissed and instructed to call a phone number to see if the trial would be on or not. The judge was hope that the defendant might take a plea before then. So we'll find out soon.

After the session, the judge showed me the other room where the actual trial's going to be. (similar room). Got a chance to look over the room. I thought it would be easy because of the small room being round, but it's certainly crowded and there's really no room for the public to attend unless yer fortunate to get in there for a reason.

I left the court house and as I later processed the info in my mind, I became concerned. My mom, (of all things!), thinks the judge is right that I should sit in this trial without an interpreter just because I can hear SOME things. But, when you are hearing impaired (deaf), you really have to question yourself. Who knows better? You, or the judge, or mum?

Answer is: BOTH ARE DAMN WRONG! (my mom and the judge). So I decided to take action. Monday, I plan to stop in to the court house and visit the District Court administrator's office. If I have to do a little ADA law and making some changes on the Jury Questionnaire form, then it's going to be my job to do that. Even if it costs me a chance to sit on the jury. A friend of mine is encourage me to do this. Another friend of mine, who previously sat in on a jury duty, said that I was living in a "HICK TOWN". That is to say, large cities do have a deaf population, small towns rarely do. (note: we used to have a deaf community here. Just in the last few years, most have migrated to the other parts of PA).

So of what will happen on Monday, I will let you know. Until then, enjoy the weekend!
Semper FI and happy v-day!