Friday? Friday

I meant to post last night about initial reactions to jury duty and how I simply could not discuss it lest you horribly influence my decision, but I got distracted by...Wendy's and cartoons. Yes. Anyway, it was an assault case and we decided she was not guilty on the basis of self defense, and honestly I don't feel that the details of the case are of any interest to anybody, but I'd be happy to tell the story. Notable highlights from the trial include...

-The "dangerous weapon" was a candlestick, proving the people behind Clue weren't so wrong after all.
-The victim of the case claimed to have never seen the candlestick in question, yet could completely describe a candlestick she invented in her head, although the defendent was DID pretty much say "yeah...I hit her with that candlestick."
-The defendent actually THREW the candlestick at the victim, making the defendent a damn good shot as it hit the victim square in the jaw.
-The police officer who responded to the call spoke precisely like Ben Affleck in Good Will Hunting.
-The detective's name....Detective Lee. I doubt I'm the only one who thinks that's the name they give to every Asian detective in the movies.
-The judge looked like the bizarre love child of Matt Dillon and the guy who played J. Peterman on Seinfeld.
-Apparently, if someone is threatening you outside your house and you fear physical confrontation, you can completely go inside and find the best object to fend them off with and it's still self defense (at least in Massachusetts).

Anyway, I have a bunch of observations and notes and such from the three hours I spent in what they call the "Jury Pool Room," which I may post later depending on whether or not they seem as interesting as when I wrote them. And depending on if nothing actually happens to me this weekend, which, why should it be different than any other?

But honestly, aside from the getting-up-at-6:30-or-7 part, which I think I can truthfully say I haven't done since high school (one of the joys of being in college is using the phrase "since high school"), jury duty was pretty sweet. The verdict kinda worked out where none of us had to be convinced of anything else, and we all got the sweet satisfaction of 1) doing right by the people involved, 2) weilding our own brand of justice as we see fit, and 3) in the case of those who had work today, taking the rest of the day off. Now THAT'S America.