Jury Duty 1
So this morning I woke up, worked from home for a little while, and then thought I ought to head into work. I hadn’t checked my mail in a few days, probably not since last thursday or so, perhaps wednesday, so I thought it prudent to check on my way out. I don’t get much mail so it’s not generally an issue.
I open the mailbox, and what should I find, but a crumpled small official postcard, with a change of address sticker on it indicating that the mail had been re-routed from my last semi-permenent apartment’s address.
The postcard said something along the lines of:
Jury Duty SECOND NOTICE: You are to report to the city court at 8:00am on August the 15th for jury duty. Your failure to show for this notice is a prosecutable offence. Please call the Jury Supervisor at 314-bla-blah...
So, lets recount the facts, I moved sometime in late may, then moved again the second to last weekend of July (in 105 degree temperatures no less). I filled out a late change of address form (plus 1 week delay for it to activate) for the temporary apartment (otherwise referred to as the psychotic roommates apartment), then filed a second change of address form to my new apartment, which canceled the prior change of address form (also taking at least a week to activate, but I’m pretty certain it took more)
This notice showing that I had been derelict for arriving this morning for jury duty, was in fact the first mail that proved my residancy in my new apartment. It was also the first time I had heard of any notice at ALL that I was needed for jury duty. It was also read about 4 hours too late.
Long story shorter, a friend drove me down and I got everything settled. There was some discussion about whether or not I still resided in the city as opposed to the county. My zip code indicates the county, but it happens to be in a slight jog in the line such that I actually live in the city. Which was useful before, as it meant I did not have to pay for an occupancy permit to live in my apartment. I probably could have got out of the whole thing had I just let the lady say I lived in the county, and let it be. However civil duty and all that, and already having been threatened by the door security man that they could arrest me (not a particularly pleasent person), I thought it wise to ensure my residency was correct, and thus must now pick some time in the middle of the school year during which I must come down and see if anyone wants me to be a juror for one of their trials.
