No one in the courtroom paid much attention to me as I waited to be interviewed for Jury Duty selection. When it was finally my turn, the prosecuting attorney asked if I had any concerns about my ability to remain impartial while reviewing evidence and testimony.
“To be honest,” I replied, “after hearing a description of the charges and the arguments the attorneys for the defense plan to make, I'm afraid I am already running a deficit of impartiality towards the defendants.”
This caused everyone in the courtroom to turn and see who could make such an exaggerated statement. The Judge raised her gaze from her paperwork, adjusted her glasses, looked me over and said,
“Mr. Owen, what did you say you do for a living?”
“Well your Honor, I am a retired technology worker, a professional musician, and a self-published poet.”
“I see,” she replied. “What kind of tech work did you do?”
“ I was a Business Process Analyst.”
“And what instrument do you play?”
“Drums, your Honor.”
“I’m guessing you’ve played since you were very young?”
“Yes Ma’am, much to the chagrin of my parents.”
She then made the faintest of smiles, and went back to her paperwork.
After a brief pause of attorneys whispering to each other in a hushed conference, the defense attorney said, “Your honor, we’d like to dismiss Mr. Owen and thank him for his time.”
Glad to be relieved from service, it wasn’t until I was half-way home that I realized she never asked me about my poetry.
Ken Owen July 2023
Van Niddy Press
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