I just finished a day and a half of jury duty.
This is the case I was not chosen for (obviously).
I was pretty sure I wasn't going to be kept on the panel because of the last time I was on jury duty. That time I was the first juror called and after asking me the usual information I was ignored while they spent a couple of days talking to everyone else. I figured I was on that panel but then late in the process I was dismissed and I realized the defense attorney was keeping me "in reserve" while he worked to get to the jurors he wanted. The defendant was Hispanic and they probably thought this middle-aged white woman would be scared of him or something while to me he looked like someone from my neighborhood.
The same thing happened today. I wasn't really ignored, the defense attorney asked me a few questions which probably just proved I was intent on following the instructions from the judge. But it felt like he was really talking to the other jurors instead of to me. And when it got down to the final choices I was dismissed as I expected.
Of course the important case was taking place a few blocks away. There were vans from every local news channel along with CNN parked in front of the court across from the Music Center. I think they were there for the Nicolette Sheridan "Desperate Housewives" case which had just gone to the jury. Glad the media have their priorities straight.