Jury Duty...

Recently, I got picked for jury duty. I'm one of the few people that actually likes jury duty, so, I was a very happy guy. Normally, I sit around for a while, I get selected for a panel and after the judge and lawyers start asking questions, I usually get excused. Every once in a while, the planets and stars align just right and I end up on an actual jury. On the rare occasion that I make it onto a jury, something usually happens to prevent the jury from actually reaching deliberations. Such as in a civil case where the parties settle.

Imagine my surprise when I got on the jury and actually made it through to deliberations. I ended up on a civil case. It was a fascinating experience and I actually learned a few things. There was a noticeable difference between the styles of the two opposing lawyers in this case. The defense attorney was more corporate and had an "old school" presentation style complete with overhead projector and photocopies mounted on poster boards. The plaintiff's attorney had a more personable and engaging presence and the presentation appeared to make better use of technology.

It was a hard fought battle, with each side throwing punches at one another. In my opinion, the defense was pretty close to tipping this matter in their favor, but, there were some issues that dogged the defense throughout the course of the trial that they just didn't overcome. And, once the scales had tipped in favor of the plaintiff, there was really no coming back from the abyss for the defense.

Ultimately, the jury found for the plaintiff, which resulted in the jury having to decide on a monetary award. I felt awkward trying to put a dollar value on someone's life and all of the intangibles that go with that life, but, once the jury began to talk things through, a value was agreed upon. The jury's award represented the largest amount of someone else's money that I've ever spent in my life. Overall, my experience with jury duty was actually very positive and amazing!