Well, it's finally over.
Jury Duty for the Los Angeles County Criminal Court system

1 day of sitting around balancing the line between extreme boredom and shear dread of having your name called
1 day being asked questions to determine your ability to make a "fair and impartial" judgment on another persons actions
6 days of questionable testimony given by gang members and terrified witnesses, presided over by an a seemingly incompetent defense attorney and a Dominatrix like DA
and
2 full eight hour days of deliberations that had to be started over from scratch 3 times due to jurors being excused due to vacation plans and alternates taking their place

As I was waiting to be sworn in, I had a horrible nervous reaction. My arms broke out in hives, my muscles ached, and I was on the verge of tears. I was a wreck.... I kept thinking to myself, who am I to pass judgment on someone else?

Today, as the verdict was read Guilty on all 3 counts, I did break into tears. This time it wasn't because I felt bad for the defendant, or because I had a guilty conscious for judging someone else. Mine were tears of realization and relief. The person before me was guilty and we as a jury had worked hard to come to the right decision. We convicted a man who had killed two people and terrorized his community.

The one person who came forward with information still lives at the location where the murders took place. She was brave enough to give statements and testify, though her safety was, and still is on the line. Before the verdict was read I said a prayer for her continued safety, and for myself, that if faced with a similar situation, I would have the strength to do as she had.

I'm not sure if I ever want to go through Jury Duty again, but I am glad that I did. I learned first hand how the legal system works, and more importantly, I gained valuable knowledge of myself.

If you ever get called to be a perspective juror, take the job seriously, and on a funny note- make sure you don't make the same mistake this guy did.......

news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070...ctant_juror