Jury Duty Call

Yesterday (Feb 7th) I was called to appear to be considered for Jury Duty at the Federal Court in Salt Lake. My first time ever. What an interesting process...and I was so schizophrenic. I really didn't want to be chosen because I have SO MUCH going on with work and Spencer getting his call this week...but then I really WANTED to SEE the process...and then there was the whole REJECTION thing when they DON'T choose you. I was amazed at how few of the 36 had ANY college education. And amazed at again at how few of them had children, and when they did how few children they had. I wanted to ask WHERE they got these people...this is NOT representative of the Utah I know. It was so intriguing to listen to each prospective juror answer the questions asked...my favorite and last question was "what bumper sticker(s) have you personally purchased or is now on your car due to your placing?"...I explained that my husband didn't like bumper stickers on our cars, but that I have bought 2---1. THERE IS ONLY ONE COMMANDMENT and 2. THE REAL REVOLUTION WILL BE LOVE.
It was a sexual harassment case, 4 women ( age range early 20's to mid 40's) against a big oil company. A man who looked to be 90 years old and could not stay awake was the "face" of the oil company.
They asked 22 questions...if you answered YES to any of them they called you in privately to ask you to explain. The one YES question that they called me in to talk to me about was "as a woman, have you ever been discriminated against?" (I am sure the wording was better) I just looked at them and smiled and said YES. One attorney asked me to be specific...I said, "I am a member of the Mormon Church, it is Patriarchal." There was an uncomfortable silence then laughter. (pretty sure over half of them were LDS) Then he asked if I could give a SPECIFIC instance to which I asked if he had ever sat in a Youth Planning Meeting where the boys were not only allowed, but FUNDED to go on a BIG excursion while the girls were told NO they could accomplish what they needed to close to home?" Silence. Besides me, the room had 13 men in it and ONE woman...the woman was the stenographer. I then laughed and said, "and at the moment there is a slight imbalance of testosterone in the room". They looked around and many smiled at me. The same attorney asked me if it was mostly a church issue...could I think of any other times...
I laughed and said "YES, I was raised in Florida..in the SOUTH...where they weren't so crazy about a GIRL running for Student Body President in 1980...and then actually winning! I told how my FEMALE adviser repeatedly told me throughout the duration of my Senior year while I served, that I had wrongfully taken a talented young man's place. I said I didn't think that that was just a SOUTHERN issue. I told them how when I was a young married and hired as a teller and had more experience AND responsibility than an even NEWER hire, male teller, --but they started him at a HIGHER wage than me because "he had a family". Interestingly, he was married as well, but no children...we were identical in the "family" way. I explained that I don't sit around feeling "roasted" by these situations, but they are factual and MY LIFE situations, so yes, I can say in all honestly, I have been discriminated against because I am female. In Church, in work and in life in general. They dismissed me. Then, they did NOT choose me.
At the start of the morning, and older gentleman missing at least one tooth at the front leaned forward and said to our row..."If you want to make some money today, don't answer YES to any of the questions...." And sure enough...they never called him in for a personal interview and he was chosen to be on the jury. With all my heart I was grateful DEEP to my bones that I was not in need of that $40 a day.