How Long Is Jury Duty First Day Cook County

The verdict on Jury Duty in Cook County

I received my summons to announced at Jury Duty. I didn't want to use any excuses having been a reporter covering the court system, being a political columnist who writes about court cases, having been in several legal cases as a defendant and plaintiff in political cases in court proceedings, or existence a contempo cancer survivor — cancer gratis — who finds it uncomfortable to sit for long periods of time during the recovery period. But honestly, it wasn't as bad every bit many people fear. It was actually pretty good

By Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania I got another summons to appear earlier a Cook Canton court this calendar week for "jury duty."

Many people endeavor to avoid this service, specially those who piece of work for a living and tin't beget the $16 a day that the courtroom gives jurors – today it is $17.20. It costs $twoscore to park in nigh places. The county will not reimburse you for the costs of parking, only many places in the suburbs provide gratis parking.

Still, I figure, that's picayune expense for united states to participate in the foundations of the Autonomous system of the Rule of Law.

Personally, I'yard not sure I would want a jury to decide my case – although I have been involved in several political cases as a journalist, as an opinion columnist and as a political consultant. The public is oftentimes influenced by what they see rather than what they hear.

Yet, I feel I have the credentials to be the perfect juror.

Visitors sign at the Circuit Courts, at the 4th District Maywood Circuit Court building in Maywood. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

I watch NBC series "Law & Gild" every chance I get, and I'm hooked on Investigation Discovery'due south "Forensic Files" Television receiver plan.

Criminals do some pretty stupid things and it is and then enjoyable to sentinel them be exposed as "THE LOW-LIFE CRIMINALS THAT THEY REALLY ARE!

OK, I should calm downwards a bit. Those shows do get me upset, though, particularly when a murderer beats the system.

And so, I go to jury duty with a tough just counterbalanced view that you are both guilty until proven innocent, and innocent until proven guilty.

With all my years of watching these TV murder serials, I effigy I can spot a killer from swell distance. Their imitation smiles and fake crying won't get by me.

"GIVE THEM THE Death penalty!"

Calm downwardly, Ray. Oooom Namaste Asana Yanti! Breath! (Most of the killers become defenseless, I take to remind myself.) Breath! Well, it took 50 years to catch the East Area Rapist in California. Nonetheless, they got him.

As Juror 12 once said in "12 Angry Men," the 1957 movie about an American courtroom drama, "This isn't an verbal science."

I tried to figure out why I get picked for jury duty and so often. Some people say if yous annals to vote, y'all are going to get nailed. Others say if you are an immigrant and get a citizen, you get nailed. Others say it's all political. The system doesn't like y'all, you get picked. You made some politician angry, you go picked. You're a minority, y'all go picked.

Warning about jury tampering posted at the Circuit Courts, at the 4th District Maywood Circuit Court building in Maywood. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania — Warning nigh jury tampering posted at the Circuit Courts, at the 4th District Maywood Circuit Court building in Maywood. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

I am hoping when I finally retire, I might make being a juror my retirement profession. I can be decisive.

"Guilty! Oh, well maybe … Not Guilty. Ah, how about a do-over?"

I too expect forward to that greasy food they serve in government buildings. One fourth dimension, I lived on Snickers bars from the vending machine in the hallway at the Criminal Courts Building on 26th and California.

That was a scary place. I covered information technology as a reporter in the 1990s but the identify is jam-packed with parents who never knew their sons were drug-dealing street gang members carrying guns, until they were shot and killed by police officers. Then, they got to file "Jack Pot" lawsuits against the Chicago Police force that pay better than the Illinois Lottery.

Hey, merely in the cease, I did my patriotic duty. I served.

I remember I was in a court case (that I won), merely when the court was picking the jury the Judge asked the 40 potential jurors who were in the gallery, "Does anyone recognize any of the plaintiffs or defendants?" Xv potential jurors raised their easily and said, "I know Ray Hanania. He'southward that Arab guy who writes for the newspaper."

Aw darn. That's gonna influence the jury's decision-making procedure.

List of items banned in the Circuit Courts, at the 4th District Maywood Circuit Court building in Maywood. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania — List of items banned in the Circuit Courts, at the 4th District Maywood Excursion Courtroom edifice in Maywood. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania

So I did report in for Jury Duty in Maywood. The form told me to be at that place at 8:30, only like the 50 other people there, I got in that location before and stood in line within the archway of the grand Circuit Courtroom building.

In that location are different restrictions on jurors than those who are there to attend court cases, either equally lawyers, plaintiffs or serial killers. Jurors get to bring in their prison cell phones, iPads and even Laptop computers so they can use them during the sometimes solar day-long wait in the Jury Room, before you lot are picked for a case.

The balance of the people have to turn their cell phones off or get out them in their cars.

The employees at the Circuit Court are polite just robotic. They give the aforementioned instructions non merely every twenty-four hours but thousands of times each mean solar day to visitors who take to be screened through the metallic detectors.

Belts must come off and be rolled upward. Wallet, loose change, cell phones and electronics become into the little plastic bin on the conveyer belt. Glasses and sun glasses, also.

Jurors carry their notice for Jury Duty sheets with them. They have to be filled out ahead of time, answering questions like, "Accept you been the victim or a law-breaking?" Have you been in a courtroom case?" "Are you in a courtroom case?" They also want to know what you do.

People tend to dress downwards for jury duty, wearing comfortable wear, so information technology's hard to tell what people exercise just by looking at them. Men, women, young old. We all stand up in line, nevertheless. Black, White, Hispanic. And me, the lone Arab.

Once in, we are greeted by a Excursion Courtroom employee. His proper noun is Joe, a actually overnice gentleman. Everyone lines upwardly to check in and he reviews your forms, and asks questions merely in instance.

"Skillful morn sir/ma'am how are y'all … everything right? Your name and your accost? … ok … your console number is … Hold on to your number and make yourself comfortable."

Joe's greeting is well-nigh identical for each person he meets in line.

In that location are about 80 seats in the sequestered room for jurors. By 9 am in that location are only near 40 people in the room. Each juror is assigned a unlike Panel Number that ranged this morning time between 1 and xx. Just it didn't seem like they had enough people in one panel to make a 12-person jury. Possibly they mix panels.

Joe welcomes us and shows united states a video … "You, the Juror." It is narrated past old WMAQ Chicago TV political reporter Lester Holt, who is now an NBC network reporter and criminal offense show host. The last fourth dimension I saw ane of these videos was at the Daley Middle and it was produced past Tom Shaer, also a one-time WMAQ TV sports reporter.

The videos include welcomes from Primary Approximate Timothy Evans, who I knew as an alderman when I covered Chicago City Hall. I don't think Evans likes me very much because, during the aftermath of Mayor Washington'south death in Nov 1987, he didn't like my coverage of his efforts to exist named interim mayor as Washington'south successor. The majority alderman voted to elect Ald. Eugene Sawyer. Evans and I were non always on the same side in politics, though I think he would take made a great mayor, too.

Evans has since ruled against me in several political cases I take been involved in. I'm sure information technology's all a coincidence, and he might fence I wasn't fair to him.

Hey, it'southward all politics, I guess.

Holt walks united states of america through the procedure of jury selection and the courtroom arrangement. Virtually of which we know only it never hurts to hear it once more.

Joe tells us nosotros are serving on the "One twenty-four hour period, 1 trial system" which means either you look ane-day or you serve on one trial. A trial can run between i day and 3 days, Joe explains.

And then everyone sets in for the solar day-long haul. Will we be selected? Will we get a case? It is funny how strangers select their seating. Equally people were greeted past Joe from behind the clerk's counter, it seemed that the first seats taken were the "corner" seats. The seats were set in two sections, six rows of six chairs, and chairs lining each side of the room against the wall.

The chairs are comfortable. But no i took a seat right next to some other person. Everyone chose to keep space on their sides.

But the room didn't seem filled up at all.

At that place are ii bathrooms in the room and a vending machine cafeteria through a door. Jurors are not allowed to go out the room – they are sequestered by the court during the process and can only leave when escorted by a Circuit Courtroom employee similar Joe.

The prissy thing is that the Circuit Court now offers costless WiFi (with a username and countersign that they provide). It works like a hotel WiFi system that takes you to a website to log-in.

Checking email and texts help pass the time. I watched a live streaming episode of my favorite Netflix series, "Orangish is the New Black" most life in a woman'south prison. It's in its 6th Flavour. And I thought it was very appropriate.

Everyone was pretty quiet during the look. No surprises. The seats are comfy, although yet recovering from cancer surgery, it was difficult to sit in one position for also long. (I didn't want to use Cancer Surgery every bit an alibi to miss Jury Duty.)

At nigh noon, Joe asked for everyone'due south attention. I thought he was going to release us for lunch. In that location were a agglomeration of fast food restaurants off of Route 171 and Roosevelt Road.

But instead, he announced that nosotros were all free to become domicile. The court didn't need u.s. this solar day. So he called us upwardly by Panel Numbers and gave us each a check for our service, $17.20.

It wasn't so bad at all.

You lot have to give Justice Evans credit. He's done a good job with the Excursion Courts since he took over. The room and the court is very clean. The employees were all extra polite to the more often than not apprehensive jurors and visitors. There was plenty of parking.

It wasn't as bad equally I thought it could be.

But and then, I'thousand a contemptuous erstwhile political reporter who covered the courts and at present a political opinion columnist.

When you become your court summons. Take a interruption from life and get set up to enjoy the experience. Information technology really is worth it.

(Ray Hanania is an laurels-winning old Chicago City Hall political reporter and columnist. Contact him at his personal website at world wide web.Hanania.com or at rghanania@gmail.com.)

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning columnist, author & onetime Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

Hanania also writes about Heart E issues for the Arab News, and The Arab Daily News criticizing government policies in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Hanania was named "Best Ethnic American Columnist" by the New America Media in November 2007, and is the 2009 recipient of the SPJ National Sigma Delta Chi Award for column writing.

Email Ray Hanania at rghanania@gmail.com.

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