So I headed over to Hillsboro today after an intricate plan involving no less than three people to ferry my children around while I was at jury duty.

The judge informed us, after waiting for forty minutes, that today was our lucky day. Today was the day that grand juries (no less than five weeks) were chosen from the jury population.

Of course I was called. So I was looking at five weeks of tuesdays and wednesdays from 8-5 on jury duty.

ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGHHHHHHHHHH

Luckily the judge let me off after I explained my childcare situation.

But then I got called for jury duty that day. And I got placed in the first twelve instead of the alternate pool. I even got sworn in.

Then, during voir dire, the two lawyers asked some incredibly general questions about "beyond a reasonable doubt" and something else I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about, about half of the jurors answered questions. I was among the ones that didn't. However, the prosecuting attorney must not have liked my face, because I was the first challenged juror.

Yippee! Free! And I'm doubly happy because the judge told us in the beginning that washington county is overbooked and understaffed and that meant even a supposedly short trial would go two days.