[Rick Lee]

I had federal jury duty last year and this judge was a severe HARD A$S on anyone who tried to get out of it. The case was a RICO Act on an M-13 gangbanger, which I knew plenty about, working at a news agency and reading the Wash. Post daily. There about 80 potential jurors. First question by the judge was: "Does anyone here personally know anyone in the FBI? If so, please stand." Half the room stood. You get an idea of the jury pool around northern VA. Anyway, one guy there had just dropped his wife off for back surgery that morning and she was going to be in a wheel chair for months. Too bad. He couldn't leave. A few folks whose names were called didn't show up. Judge sent US Marshalls to go find them and told us they were looking at three days in jail and $1000 on contempt. This guy had such a hard on for jurors. He told us all about how he helped write the state law that required everyone, except the governor (despite his objections to that provision) to be eligible for jury duty. I was the last person they dismissed that day. The defendant was guilty as sin, looking at lethal injection and eventually pleaded guilty for the reduced sentence of life without parole at the tender age of 23.