Jury duty (update)

(Sorry for the delayed update on my jury duty situation. I've been busy around here and trying to plan-out how I want to do this blog.)

 

Well, wouldn't you know it!

 

While I had talked myself right into a trap and crossed the point-of-no-return, I ended up accidently fulfilling my obligations to the summons for jury duty. Here's what happened:

 

I e-mailed, and sent certified-mail, a Motion to Supress my jury summons. The court clerk e-mailed me back the next day and requested that I go in to talk to the judge about this matter. I replied to her and stated that I would be very willing to do that, and that she just needed to e-mail me back to let me know which day (not date) that I could meet with him.

 

The next morning I received an e-mail stating that I needed to be there later that same day at 12:30. So I went in as requested. I signed in on the jury list (mistake!) and completed the questionnaire (mistake!), then awaited the opportunity to speak to the judge.

 

There was over 100 people there, and they were seating a panel of 26. Three people ended-up being dismissed, then they called my name. So I asked to approach the bench. The judge said he was expecting to talk to me after reading the answers I wrote on the questionaire.

 

I had put that, "I could come to a conclusion whether someone might be guilty or innocent, but that I couldn't -- and wouldn't -- pass judgment and sentencing, because I didn't have the authority to do that ... yet."

 

The judge was very polite and was just wanting to make sure I was sincere in my beliefs. I was equally polite and said that yes, these were strongly held beliefs that I couldn't compromise on. So he said that I was dismissed from the jury and said I had satisfied the summons for jury service.

 

I told him that I actually wasn't there to satisfy the summons, but to talk to him about the motion I had filed to suppress the jury summons. But he wasn't aware of any motion. I told him that I had sent it via e-mail and certified mail. But again, he stated that he had not received any motion. I asked him what the next step was and he stated that he would review the motion when he finally received it and would discuss it with the Jury Commissioner.

 

So even though the court clerk accommodated me on not referring to the Gregorian calendar to get me to show up to court, it appears that she purposely held my motions back from the judge in order to sabotage my efforts, because of the views I expressed to her about the calendar and the Catholic church -- she being a Catholic and all.

 

This, in combination with me not going directly to the judge without signing-in and filling out the questionnaire, seems to have determined my fate. I was quite ticked-off at first, but then later realized that this was just a "not yet" moment -- a test-run to see if I was willing to make a stand regardless of the consequences. Because I was prepared to go to jail and to endure whatever was to follow. But I'm now geared-up and ready for the next legal challenge!

 

And that same day I decided to never again use the Gregorian calendar to determine my life's actions and when I do them, nor will I ever refer to my papal birthdate again. And noticing (that same day) on my Arizona drivers license that they have my birthdate wrong anyway, I'm sure that there will be more legal battles right around the corner.

 

Also, earlier that morning before court, I had received a reply from the Dep't of Justice on this issue. And then later that day I did some more research that further supported my stance. I will discuss this in the next posting, "De facto, but not de jure"

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