JURY SERVICE
I hate…read morethis location, so I tried to switch my court venue for Jury Service. Unless you have to take more than three buses to get here or you have a medical excuse, forget it. On the plus side, there are fewer courtrooms here than Stanley Mosk, so you have a better chance of getting dismissed.
Parking is right beneath the building. Show your jury summons, and you can park for free. There are plenty of spaces, but it is like a dungeon - dark! I found the elevator and took it to the first floor. Then, I had to get out, exit the building, and go through security. The line was short, and the process was quick. Then, I took an elevator to the 8th floor to the Jury Room. It's big and comfortable, but we aren't allowed to take photos of it.
They way they handle juries is different than the last time I was here. We were told there are two groups - a morning panel and an afternoon panel. I was in the morning panel. Within 30 minutes, we were separated into two groups and sent to a department. Everything is done by number, probably to preserve anonymity, so the informative baliff had us line up in numerical order. I was number 2, so I thought I would be in and out of there promptly. Nope. Now, they interview everyone on the panel, which was about 38 people, before dismissing anyone.
Once we took our assigned seats, the judge thanked us and gave us a rundown on how things were going to proceed. Then, she excused us for lunch. Unless you're a fast food junkie, pack yours! There is no cafeteria here, and the vending machines are pathetic. There was one food truck outside, and McDonald's and Subway were across the street on Washington Blvd. It's a food desert.
When we returned at 1:30PM, we each had to stand up and answer a list of 11 heavy duty questions since it was a DUI case. It was fascinating and surprising to hear some of the answers. By the end of the day, everyone had responded, and we were instructed to return the next morning at 10:30AM.
Beware: my courtroom, Department 75 is a meat locker, so bring a ski jacket! Plus, the air conditioner makes cringy inconsistent sounds that are annoying. The building itself is old and feels antiquated, but it gets the job done.
The next day, once we were seated, the judge dismissed a number of people. I wasn't one of them. Then, the defense attorney spoke to us. She asked us all a few specific questions, and we had to respond by raising our hand, or not. Then, she asked certain people about their responses.
Next, the prosecutor described his method. He, too, asked the group questions, which we replied by raising our hands, or not. Then, he asked particular people things.
When that was over, the prosecutor dismissed one person. Then the defense attorney dismissed me. I had to return to the 8th floor to pick up that all-important piece of paper proving I had served for two days.
All in all, employees at this courthouse were kind and helpful. Thankfully, everyone tries to make this experience as efficient as possible.
Civic duty done!