AF: I can't talk about it

I am serving jury duty -- After a day and a half of jury selection, I was inches away from being excused when I got called out of the peanut gallery to be an alternate jury member on a criminal trial in Orange County.  This means I will hear the case and consider all of the evidence, but unless one of the 12 jurors gets sick or abducted by aliens or something like that, I will not deliberate in the jury room.

This is fine with me.  I've been on two juries in the past -- one civil case, and one criminal -- we deliberated both times, and we reached verdicts both times.

Lots of people complain about jury duty and do whatever they can to avoid it.  Serving is disruptive, but it's summer and I have some time right now. A trial by jury is an important American right, so it is my civic responsibility to participate, if I can.  Freedom isn't free.  And besides, the lunch breaks are always very long, and I like wandering around downtown Santa Ana, peering into all of the quinceanera shop windows and eating Salvadoran food for lunch.  There's also a big fancy public library nearby.  So it's not terrible, and sometimes the cases can be interesting.

I can't talk about the case though.

I will say this about the experience because of our summer homework:  the internet does make many things quicker and easier.  And, the internet can land you in court, facing criminal charges.  There are many ways to be dumb in this life, and the internet makes dumb behavior quick and easy too.

Once a verdict is reached, I can speak about the trial, but I won't, especially here on the blog.  The whole thing is icky.  But I am here to warn you:  be good citizens online.  Don't do anything online that you wouldn't do in person.