Jury Duty

I spent the month of November serving Jury Duty. It is now over, whew!

It was a civil case, involving asbestos. The plaintiff was a compressor rebuilder. Part of the process of disassembling the compressors, is to take off asbestos laden gaskets, which allow the fibers to become airborn, and when breathed in, can cause mesothelioma (cancer of the lining of the lung.)

The plaintiff was diagnosed in 2003, filed suit, then died in 2005. His wife continued the suit.
He/She was asking for multiple millions, for value of life and pain/suffering.

The Defendant was a compressor manufacturer. The company did not make the gaskets, but did use them in their compressors.

The original suit was against a number of companies. Our understanding was that a few settled right away. A few of the cases were dismissed for various reasons. This was the last case.

We found that the Plaintiff did not prove their case. The instructions given to the jury after closing arguments were extensive. 16 pages and counting. The battle was hard-fought by the lawyers in the courtroom and by the jury during deliberations. The last week of the trial was the most stressful week I've lived through in a long time. My body rebelled, big-time. It took the entire holiday weekend to feel "normal" again. Sunday night I finally fell asleep at a reasonable time.

For a case that lasted a month, it was bound to be complicated. It taught me a number of real life lessons. Even though jury duty is a huge hassle, I thought it was worth the time and effort. It wasn't just about doing my civic duty, it wasn't just about being part of something larger than myself; it was that and more. Knowing that each of us can make a difference. Next time I get a notice to appear for jury service, I won't groan and wish it on someone else. I'll go, and again experience the process that makes this country unique.