Envy

I drove up to the mailbox, just like I do every night. I stuck my arm out the car window and deep into the recesses of the box. I speculate, as I do every night, as to how long the mail carrier’s arms must be. The letters, magazines and junk mail are always shoved up against the back of the box to the point where I have to open the car door and half step out so I can reach all the way back there.

I take a moment to drop the mail into my lap and glance through it before I step on the gas and drive the car into the garage. I never bothered to bring the recycling bins back to the house, and I leave the car so I can recycle the junk mail rather than bring it into the house.

And then I saw it; an envelope addressed to Todd with the “US District Court” on the return address. I tipped the envelope so I can see into the window, but I already know what it is. It’s the same survey I had to fill in when I was selected for jury duty. Jealousy washed over me—how I would love to serve on jury duty again. After Todd watched me go through it, he is interested in serving as well. However, because he is busy running his business and employing other Rhode Islanders, I suspect he won’t have the time. Which is a shame. He’d make an awesome juror.

My stint as a federal grand juror officially ended in April, but because we still have 3 cases pending my jury has been extended. We haven’t been called back in to hear any more testimony. But the extension is due to end in October, and I wonder what will happen to those three fascinating ongoing cases. Will we finally get to finish them? Will another jury have to re-hear everything from the beginning? Will we get extended again? Will the cases be dropped?

I am pretty sure that one of the three cases will likely be dropped, if it hasn't already. At the very beginning of each case, the Assistant US Attorney prosecuting the case tells us what the charges are and what laws the target of the investigation is suspected of breaking. As we heard testimony we hadn’t heard any of the witnesses say anything that suggested that the target had done what he was accused of doing. Unless the attorney brings in a witness who shows us that this person has committed the crime it’s unlikely that it will result in an indictment.

But there are still two other cases, and they are strong. On one of them we had already returned an indictment, and I’d read in the paper that indictment resulted in a guilty plea. The man we indicted will likely serve 10 years in prison. There are still other parts of the case that the witnesses are still fleshing out for us, and I cannot wait to get back into that deliberation room to hear more.

This morning Todd was reading the letter from the court. I know he wants to serve. I know he wants to give something back to our country. But I know that he’s already over extended as it is.

I am green with envy.

Crime School Is in Session

I sat in the front row center seat in the deliberation room today. That’s where I sat last time too. I was a bit late today, and that seat was empty and the same people were on either side of it as were the last time 2 weeks ago.


Why is it that as adults we assign ourselves seats when in a setting like this? This is something I noticed in college, and later on in grad school. I notice it at work when we have recurring meetings that people seem to sit in the same seats for each meeting. As I sit down I always think to myself, “Now, what would happen next week if I sat in Bob’s seat?” Then I imagine an uncomfortable exchange where Bob walks into the meeting the next week and sees me in the chair that he’d been sitting in for the last who knows how long. Will he come up to me and demand that I get up and get back into my rightful chair? Will he walk toward his chair, out of habit, and then turn and sit at another chair but glare at me for my blatant disregard for the assigned yet unassigned seats.

I sat down in the deliberation room and listened to witnesses testify in five different cases today, and heard two cases two weeks ago as well. I’ve come to a startlingly important conclusion today. Serving on a federal grand jury has been a mind blowing experience so far, as I’ve listened to fascinating testimony that flows like an episode of Law and Order. The thing that strikes me about the cases I’ve heard so far is that, really, these people commit crimes so they can get something they want. A person might steal something and sell it for money that they can use to get something else they really want. That’s the basic motivator behind crime—getting something that you want quickly. I mean, I could throw on a ski mask and rob the general store down the road for some quick cash, right? Or I could go to work and do my job for 2 weeks and get my paycheck.

But in the seven cases I’ve heard so far, I’ve learned one very important fact about criminals. These criminals I am hearing the testimony about are not the diabolical crooks I’ve seen on TV and in movies. They are actually quite stupid. My mind wandered a bit today while listening to a case and it went to what I would have done differently if I were the accused. Would I have walked around with the evidence in broad daylight? Probably not. Would I have bragged to friends about having committed the crime to friends who later became witnesses just so they could avoid getting prosecuted for their own crimes? Probably not.

A side effect of jury duty is kind of how people describe jail. It’s Crime 101. It’s like the show “What Not to Wear” but only it’s about “What Not to Do Once You’ve Broken the Law.” If I was so inclined, I would now make an awesome crook.