I was called for jury duty at the Bowie County courthouse (New Boston). About a hundred+ of us, to be divided into two pools. One case was a felony charge to be heard in district court next week. The other was a misdemeanor assault charge to be tried and concluded today in county court-at-law.
I wound up on the panel for the misdemeanor assault, although I wasn't selected. I was number sixteen out of twenty, and the six member jury was picked out of the first nine. I'd have stuck around as a spectator, but it really didn't look like an interesting case, because it would all boil down to whose testimony was more believable.
I was surprised at how the DA basically tried the case during voir dire, laying out all the facts of the case and pointing out the expected defense claim of self defense. While addressing self defense, he said that when someone initiates the confrontation (as the purported victim did in this case), then gets his butt whipped, it's perfectly okay for the jury to find that --and I quote-- "The sum(thing) had it comin'!"
The other thing that surprised me was the jury pool. I knew that coats and ties weren't required, as they are in federal court. But I still put on slacks and a tie, just to show respect for the process. I was somewhat overdressed, because apparently shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops are perfectly acceptable juror attire in Texas.
CHL related stuff: there are still 30.06 signs on the doors. Immaterial, since it's a courthouse, and the meeting place of the quorum court. A single deputy manned the metal detector, but when he took a break, the sheriff himself took a turn at it.
Kevin
