Flooding due to heavy rain and first Jury summon service

Flooding due to heavy rain

In my area, too, rain suddenly poured down in less than an hour. The rainwater flooded the ponds around me, submerging cars and causing the road foundation to collapse. A large pond formed at a nearby Burger King I stopped by for a moment. The cars parked around it looked precarious. This is not a pond. It is the parking lot of the Burger King I frequented.

Climate change is already accelerating to the point where we can't press the brakes. The rain that fell today was 10 times larger than the usual raindrops. It was pouring down like hail. Now, I'm even afraid to go out with an umbrella. We don't know when or where it will rain all at once.

I'm worried that climate change is accelerating and that frequent abnormal temperatures will cause floods, droughts, and forest fires.

On a rainy day, I visited the Supreme Court to attend a jury summons service.

​It's been two years since I got my citizenship. I was the only one in my family to receive the summons. In order to fulfill my duty as a citizen, I entered my information online as per the procedure. And a few months later, I received an email saying that I had to come to the court. It was possible to postpone it once. I postponed it to the vacation to fulfill my duty during my child's vacation, and today is finally the day. Even though it was vacation, I was worried because I couldn't miss a few days of work. I went into the court, did a security check, and went to the main room.

At the entrance of the room where the jury members were selected, there was a neatly arranged table where they had questionnaires and information to fill out.

​I went in with a book and coffee knowing that there would be a long wait. I think it would have been better if I had brought a cardigan and a phone charger because the air conditioning was turned on so strongly. And if possible, it would have been better if I had brought a sandwich or snack. Bringing coffee was a very good decision. The wait started at 9:30 in the morning and continued until 3:30. Lunch time was from 12 to 2:00.

I envied those who came in with sandwiches and snacks, so I went out for a while during lunch time and bought spaghetti and snacks from a nearby deli and had lunch in the cafeteria. The cafeteria did not serve meals. So it would be good to bring a sandwich just in case. And I really needed a book. I had to wait for almost 6 hours, which was boring.

When I first entered, I knew I should have brought the card that was mailed to me in advance, but it was already too late. However, they kindly told us not to worry. If I said I didn't have it, they kindly made it for me. However, I had to know my ID number that I received by email. I had to give the information card I wrote at the entrance and hold the questionnaire. This questionnaire will be used if I am selected as a trial juror. The questionnaire mainly asked about personal information and whether there were people around me who worked in the law. I had to write it in pencil while I waited.

During the boring time of waiting, I read other people's cases on the internet. And it was very helpful. So I decided to share my experience on the blog today. I hope it will help someone.

When everyone submitted their information paper (small paper), they had to explain their personal circumstances or the reason why they could not stay today. At this time, some people postponed it to another day and went back. After everyone submitted their papers, the officer called 20 people first and told them to stand in line. Then, he told them to go to a room with a certain number. After they entered the room, he called 20 people again and told them to go to a room with a different number. After they entered, 3 hours later, people who looked like lawyers or prosecutors came in with suits and suitcases. After lunch, a few people came out again, but they were not selected.

​After that, the lawyer brought out about 10 people. I think these people were selected as the final jurors. Then, after an hour, he called 20 people again. There seemed to be about 20 people left, and I was one of them. The officer told us to wait until he was no longer needed. After about 3 o'clock, she told us that we could go home. She stamped the juror ballot I received by email and I went home.

The qualifications for jurors are U.S. citizens who are 18 years of age or older, can communicate in English, and have no criminal record. In many cases, they are taken from the list of registered voters, so they often receive a jury summons shortly after becoming a citizen. Permanent residents are not eligible for jurors, and those with felony criminal records are also not eligible. Many people simply ignore or throw away the jury summons because they find it annoying or because they are not qualified, but this is something that should never be done.

Even if you are not qualified, you must fill out the questionnaire requested in the summons and report online or by phone. And if you do not have any special physical disability or financial reasons, you must appear as a juror. If you do not appear on the appointed date, you will be considered in contempt of court and may be fined and issued an arrest warrant.

Every business must give time and pay employees if they have to serve on a jury. Since it is a civic duty, if you are assigned to serve on a jury, you will receive $15 per day and a small amount of transportation. If you appear on a jury, you can apply to the judge for a waiver, usually for financial hardship, language problems, or medical reasons.

The most important thing is not to lie to the judge to get out of the jury. The consequences of lying are contempt of court, which can result in heavy fines or even criminal penalties.

I was able to feel a sense of accomplishment while fulfilling my duty as a citizen on this occasion. ​Of course, in order to fulfill this duty, I had to adjust the summer camp days. I hoped that I would not be selected because it would interfere with the camp if I were selected. I think everyone feels the same way. However, even if it is annoying and difficult, I have to fulfill my duty as a citizen. This is because it is for the community. In this sense, today was a meaningful day for me.