Celebrities turn up for jury duty a lot more than you might think. Just in the few months since I've been writing here, we've had at least Kirstie Alley, Valerie Bertinelli (who's doing commercials now with Kirstie Alley -- what are the odds?), Geraldine Ferraro, Steven Soderbergh, and of course Jennifer Lopez, whose picture has been one of the most popular outgoing clicks on this staid legal blog.
Usually they wait with the rest and are quickly excused, but sometimes there's a good story to go with it. This one is from the Miami Herald on Sunday:
Senior U.S. District Judge James Lawrence King, overseeing jury selection for a civil trial at the Key West courthouse, asked prospective jurors if anyone had cause to be excused.
Three hands shot up. A lady said she cared for her disabled brother. Excused, King said. A man explained he had a job-related issue. Excused, too.
A third fellow stepped forward and said his name was James Johnson. He knew the importance of jury duty, he said, but he had a special houseguest and, please, if he wasn't really needed, could he be excused?
Besides, he said, he'd been a defendant in a few minor civil suits, so maybe the lawyers wouldn't want him anyway.
'I said, `What's your business?' '' King recalls. Fox Sports analyst, he said.
King looked at him funny. ''Did you coach?'' ``Yes.''
''Where?'' King asked.
Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys, University of Miami, Oklahoma State. He rattled off others -- Iowa State, Wichita State.
''That's enough,'' said King as folks in the courtroom laughed. By then, the judge realized it was Jimmy Johnson.
If there's a lesson in this beyond the fun, it's about awareness and flexibility in voir dire. You're going to be focused, and focus is good, but don't be so focused that you don't recognize Jimmy Johnson.
(Drawing posted by Lorena Suarez at http://www.flickr.com/photos/loresui/16518954/; license details there.)
