On behalf of the State, I plead NOT GUILTY to the charges brought against Jury Duty for being a disruptive, boring, waste of time.

Before you object to that statement, let me make a case.

When since high school field trips would you ever get the day off without being penalized to visit a historical landmark for a hands-on learning experience filled with interesting people you would never meet otherwise?

So you might find yourself sitting in a room with nothing to do but wait for the judge.  I say relax and enjoy!  I managed to finish a book and watch the provided entertainment of “Meet the Parents” and “The Last Holiday” (which LL Cool J might need an alibi for that one…), all while sandwiched between two old men who illustrated to us first timers what jury duty used to be like before “them big screens they’s uh went up and got with our tax dollahs.”

If selected to sit on trial, assume your seat like an extra on the set of “Law and Order” (WARNING: that “DUH-DUH” sound byte will go off in your head every ten seconds).

But the acting stops there (except for maybe the defense lawyer).  My faith in the people was fully restored as I stood witness to 12 completely different citizens do their best to uphold the law in a case of illegal firearms possession.  It wasn’t easy but then again, determining the future of a human being shouldn’t be.

Perhaps we should welcome the inconvenience of jury duty.  So it may or may not be a fun escape from work but we’re a vital component of the fairest system in the world.  Should you ever end up in the defendant’s seat, wouldn’t you want someone as reasonable as you delivering the verdict?