Jury Duty

So, last week I actually had the displeasure of jury duty.  Not only did I have to sit around all day waiting to be called, but I actually got picked for a jury!  My case was supposed to be a 'short case', which ended up being two days. My favorite was when we were asked to show up to the courthouse the next day at 9AM and the judge wasn't even there on time.  The incident in question occurred on St. Patrick's Day and was a heroin deal.  The guy being charged was facing felony charges for possession, possession with the intent to distribute, and distribution.

So, it was clear as day that the guy was guilty.  However, I was dealing with some ridiculous idiots on the jury, that even admitted they believed he was guilty, but because it wasn't beyond a reasonable doubt, they wanted to let him off.  I tried and tried to explain legal terms to them and what the judge told us we could use to make our decision based off of, but they stared at me blankly.

Being that it was a deadline at work for me, I wasn't going to sit there all day and force a hung jury over this.  I have no doubt in my mind that he will end up back in court for a similar charge within a year.  And since he is clearly out on bail with a non-public defender, he's obviously stimulating the economy with his drug money, so whatever.  I ended up conceding my vote and letting a heroin dealer back on the streets.  Awesome.  And what pissed me off the most was the reverse racism that I felt.  The other jurors asked me where I grew up and then laughed when they thought that I, a little white girl from Howard County, couldn't possibly fathom what a drug deal might look like.  Forget the fact that I worked at Baltimore Behavioral Health for a little and tried to rehabilitate people just like the guy in question. 

I honestly and so disappointed in my legal system.  I hope that I never have to deal with such ignorance again.  I'm just happy the experience is all over.  Unfortunately, I was unable to make my goal because of the missed time at work.  So, at the end of the day, I know next time they try to pick me for a jury they will get a few choice words and will most likely never choose me again.