Some courts must have lower standards

I spent half of my Monday in Opelika – in federal court. What a waste of the government’s time that was.
I got one of those things everyone hopes to avoid in my mailbox about two weeks ago – it was a summons for jury duty. The government requested, I should say ordered, my presence at the federal courthouse. I wasn’t the only local person who had to attend. I would say there was an inordinate number of Phenix City and Russell County residents ordered to attend among the 90 potential jurors summonsed.
With 23 counties, and all the people within those counties, available for the federal court’s picking, there were at least 14 from this area – 15.5 percent of the 90 members of the jury pool available for random selection.
I did not hear one person when asked to give his or her name, spouses name, occupation and address say he or she was from Autauga, Butler, Chilton, Coffee, Covington, Crenshaw, Dale, Geneva, Houston, Lowndes, Montgomery, Pike or Randolph counties. That’s no one was from 13 of the 23 counties that make up the Middle District. Almost 57 percent of the available jury pool was not represented for Monday’s festivities. I sure hate that for them.
I guess none of the people in those 13 counties took the time to vote in the last presidential election. If I had known I would be “randomly” selected because I voted in the last presidential election , I would not have voted and would not been one of the people available to waste half a day in Opelika.
I did pay particular attention when one lady said her name was "Clark" and that she was "married to Mark Clark," but “not that Mark Clark” while pointing in my direction. The people in the room found some humor in her comments - the judge even laughed.
Along with my summons for jury duty was a questionnaire – six or seven pages of very intrusive questions – that had to be returned within five days or receipt of the summons. I answered the questions as truthfully as I could. Apparently, no one took the time to read the answers to my questionnaire. If anyone had, I am sure I would have received a letter from the court telling me to stay away, very far away.
I know if I were selecting a jury, I would not pick me.
After everyone told who they and their spouses were, the judge had the lawyers introduce themselves. And then the defendants were introduced. Then everyone heard about the three – yes, only three – cases that were to be tried. I can’t tell you anything about that because the judge, the Honorable Myron Thompson, said I could not discuss the cases.
Judge Thompson does not appear to be as old as you would think he would be. He was placed in the federal court system by former President Jimmy Carter, but I will not hold that against him – Judge Thompson that is. And my first impression of the judge was not what I expected. To tell the truth, I have never read a single newspaper article that showed him in a favorable light. I found Judge Thompson to be quite affable. Like I said, that was my first impression and that could change with time.
After a five-minute restroom break and another break that was supposed to be used to question “in private” about 15 jurors about their answers to questions regarding one of the cases, everyone re-entered the courtroom. Within two minutes, the first jury was selected. The court clerk called out the names of those selected and instructed them to take a seat in the jury box. Guess who was selected – me. How could they have made such an error in judgment?
I have been called to serve in the past, in local courts, and have always been dismissed from service. Most judges and lawyers do not want anyone connected with newspapers serving as jurors. I fully support their feelings. Apparently, federal courts do not set their standards as high.
I have always said it is important for people to serve when called to duty. I now have to back up my words with actions. I have to serve on the federal jury because I was selected, I guess, to serve. I have doubts about the process used in the selection process and the people who did the selecting. I also cannot forget the words of the comedian Norm Crosby who said, “When you go into court, you are putting your fate into the hands of 12 people who weren’t smart enough to get out of jury duty.”
Somehow, I feel that I resemble that remark.