The Las Vegas Adventurer

Sorry for the lack of posts yesterday – I had jury duty and couldn’t get my laptop to connect. I had totally missed the sign in the lobby of the Regional Justice Center that gave information on how to do that, but my mind wasn’t really on it when I walked in!

Anyway, I’d never been to jury duty before (though I’ve been called several times over the last few years this was the first time I actually had to report) so I thought I’d give some tips and ideas from my experience!

I called the night before my report date as instructed and found out I had to be at the regional justice center by 7:30 am. I had imagined breezing in through the lobby, going through security and heading up to the third floor where jury services is located. Instead there was a huge mass of people waiting at the doors in a long line. Security finally started checking us through not long after and, just like at the airport, we were told to take everything out of our pockets to go through the machine, including belt buckles and shoes with metal.

Once we were done being herded through we headed upstairs to jury services which was a large-ish room with surprisingly comfortable chairs. When I and many others walked in the clerk was already giving a basic rundown of what would happen, which I found odd since not only was the room only half full but people were constantly streaming in (the room was full within approximately 20 minutes, which is why I found it odd that she’d already started). I wasn’t sure how much I’d already missed. After that we filed up by row to pick up plastic clips to put our paper badge into to hang on our shirts, and then back to our seats to watch a quick informational movie. In all I sat there for about two hours. Bring a book!

Around 10 am we were told that a marshal was on his way down to pick up a group of us and badge numbers whatever-through-whatever were told to line up in order, so we did. We were then led to the escalators back down to the lobby floor and took an elevator up 15 flights to our courtroom, where we again waited outside for another twenty minutes, still standing in our single file line. The bailiff/marshal told us that the first twenty people in line would go sit in and in front of the jury box and the rest of us were to sit in the audience seats for now.

After we were all seated and sworn in we were given the basic premise of the case and told everyone’s names in case any of us knew anyone involved. It was for a civil suit (medical malpractice) so a lot of the questions that the judge began asking the prospective jurors in the box had a lot to do with that. She and the lawyers mentioned several times that it wasn’t to make us feel uncomfortable and we weren’t to take it personally, but believe me you become a lot closer to absolute strangers when you’re told about medical issues that may impact how you view the case!

We were let out for a lunch break shortly after noon and instructed to be back by 1:30. Another two hours of questioning followed and then a ten minute break, and then back in for more questioning. In all about nine people in the box were excused for one reason or another and each time this happened one of us from the audience seats were called up in their place. By sheer virtue of having a higher badge number I was one of the last three and never made it up to the jury box for selection. After all twenty people in the box had been questioned we were sent back outside while the lawyers did their peremptory challenge. About half an hour later we were let back in and ten jurors were called into the box – eight jurors and two alternates. The rest of us were excused to go back down to jury services in case we were needed by another judge, but by then it was already 4:00 so the clerk had us leave our badges on her desk, wait a few minutes more so she could validate the badges, and officially excused us.

As fascinating as the whole process was and as much as I really wouldn’t have minded being picked, I admit I was relieved since balancing the kids and household for the next three days would have been quite a feat!

In case you’re ever called to jury duty in Las Vegas, here are a few tips:

~ Bring a book. There’s a lot of waiting!

~ I admit I was nervous about the whole thing. However, everyone was very nice and happy to explain or answer questions, even the judge. If you, like me, had never been inside a courtroom before, throw out the idea that all judges are impatient, cranky and hard-cases. Everyone we came in contact with, from the jury services clerk to the bailiff to the judge were nice and understanding.

~ Make sure you park only in the Fremont Street Experience garage – the justice center will not validate for parking anywhere else! Validation takes place in the jury services room and the clerk will explain how it works, etc, when she puts the machine out.

~ Though vending machines and a cafe are available during breaks, they’re very expensive. I brought a bottle of water and some snacks in my bag and didn’t even have to go downstairs during our lunch break. I sat out on the (really uncomfortable) benches outside the courtroom and read.

~ Bring a light sweater or jacket. The temperature in the hallway outside the courtroom and the courtroom itself varied throughout the six hours we were there.

~ You can now respond to your summons online by going to the Clark County District Courts page.

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