I Could Never Serve On A Jury. I Know Too Many People.

Yesterday, I was due to report for jury duty on an election day. Well, a Primary Day, to be technical. So, I was sent to a courtroom in the George Deukmejian Courthouse, Department S17, to be given an orientation by the presider, Judge Judith Meyer. The building looks similar to the CSULB Student Union, only slightly bigger. A Subway and Coffee Bean/Tea Leaf is on the first floor, and there is also a convenience store that I am not aware of. This was going to be a two to three week trial. That's at least 250 dollars that I could get from being called to serve. The case was a gangbanger case from 2011. Nothing special. The guy, as far as I concerned, is guilty but the defense will most likely appeal anyway, only to have it declined. Waste of time all over.

There was one problem with that, bigger than the predictable conclusion I forecasted. One of the witnesses happened to be the husband of one of the board members/instructors that works for one of my companies, the Long Beach Bar Foundation, whose classes happen to take place at the courthouse. Because of his links, it was very unlikely the defense would get a fair trial. Seeing this, the resident court clerk excused me and took my questionnaire. I had a lunch break (I ordered a Malibu Dream with almond coconut milk from the Coffee Bean/Tea Leaf), and afterwards, with no other trials, my jury duty was over, I took a bus home and got some sleep so that I could wake up and go back to my soccer writing for the Stoppage Time.

The fact that I know a lot of people at the courthouse—and this was my very first visit, one of the staff checking bags was at the Recognition Reception earlier this year—means that in order for me to really have a chance, I have to be assigned to a different courthouse. HOWEVER, they would have to pay extra for mileage, so it would be more expensive. Convenience breeds familiarity. My brother in law was also sitting on the jury of a trial. He was two and a half weeks into his case.

After I woke up and had some coffee, I found out that Hillary Clinton had won the California primary in the early morning. Earlier in the morning, I made my vote and a number of choices I made wound up going through, including Clinton, Kamala Harris and YES to all the measures. No surprises, but what was surprising was that Bernie Sanders refused to concede. I don't know about this, but I am sure he is now making himself and his constituents looks bad. This is why I can never accept Bernie Sanders as the leader of the free world: he is a sore loser.

Bernie, being a sore loser is my job, and I apply in a different setting. It's called sports. It's called punditry. Give up, old man. With all due disrespect to Mr. Trump, Hillary Clinton will be our next president.