Jury duty... cell phone

By Kathi Nailling

May 14, 2008 11:06 am

— Recently I was called for juror duty.
Having worked for a newspaper most of my life I have never been seated on a jury, and this time I knew would be no different.
Well, that all changed this week.
I have always thought I would make a great juror, because I can keep an open mind and hear all the evidence before deciding guilt or innocence.
My jury journey started on Tuesday.
Which of course is my deadline day for the Cedar Creek Pilot, bad day to be away from the office.
But I am going to do my civic duty. Knowing they won’t pick me. Again, because I work for the media.
I got picked.
Before I tell you about the trial I should mention that in the courtroom there are signs everywhere that say CELL PHONES WILL BE CONFISCATED IF THEY RING or something to that extent.
You know where I’m going from here.
My cell phone ran during jury selection.
My phone is new and I thought I had put the phone on vibrate. No, I had just lowered the tone.
Judge Moore told the jury panel to turn off their phones. Okay, I did.
They picked the jury and to my amazement I was the second name called.
Bad timing. I not only had a paper to get out I was going out of town at the end of this week.
I did my duty and took my seat on the jury. Other obligations I had to let go.
Judge Moore released the jury for lunch and we were told to return about 2p.m. and testimony would start.
During the lunch break I returned phone messages, before joining the other jurors in the jury room.
During testimony my phone rang, Again.
Oh My God! Judge Dan Moore confiscated my phone.
Lord, what does a newspaper person who also sells real estate do without a cell phone?
You beg to get it back.
Unfortunately, your begging lands on deaf ears.
He told me he would consider giving my cell phone back when the trial was over. Consider? That won’t work. I also had to be told how serious the crime I was hearing was. Believe me I did not take the trial lightly. I knew exactly how serious this was.
Judge Moore in his way I guess was trying to be nice. He first told me if I needed to make any calls after trial Tuesday I could use his phone. That wasn’t going to happen. He had defeated me and I was not taking it well.
When testimony ended for the day, the Judge gave his instruction to the jurors, which I found interesting,…don’t talk to the media. Hello.
I decide just to leave and not say anything about my phone. I heard Judge Moore call my name ‘Mrs. Nailling’.
He asked if I would like to make some calls on my phone. I did.
I called the paper and my husband.
He took the phone back. I think Jackie (my husband) is still laughing about it.
The first thing jurors’ do when a case goes to the jury is pick a foreman.
Guess what? I’m the foreman. I am already not this judge’s favorite person.
I would have rather sat back and stayed out of his way.
By Wednesday afternoon everyone in Gun Barrel City or within 5 miles knew about my fiasco.
Thanks to Jackie.
As amusing as this was, I found it to be amazingly hard not having my cell phone.
What did we do before cell phones? I guess we used pay phones. Do they still have them?
When I returned to jury duty on Wednesday the other jurors asked about my cell phone.
I felt like I was in an I Love Lucy sitcom. Ricky was punishing me for being me.
In my world I’m the boss, but in Judge Dan Moore’s world…well we know I’m not the boss.
Again, Wednesday I asked to use my phone to call home.
I think this had gotten to be a little funny to everyone but me. Judge Moore let me use my phone and again he took my phone.
They lock it up for safekeeping.
The trial ended on Thursday. My experience as a juror was not what I expected and was a road I do not want to travel again.
I still believe in the judicial system, innocent until proven guilty.
I did come away from this experience meeting some very nice people on the jury, and if I or anyone in my family were ever in trouble, I would want this same jury. They were all so dedicated at trying to find out what really happened.
I got my cell back on Thursday.
The court clerk asked if I was having phone withdrawals. “Absolutely!”
I had a similar experience at a funeral a couple of months ago.
I thought my cell was in my car. It rang.
I heard someone behind me say “What idiot brings their phone to a funeral”.
That would be me.

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