week three

The previously promised Jury Duty edition! But first, let me wish you all a Happy Inauguration Day!


Supreme and Family Court - State of New York

I headed to the Kings County Supreme Court bright and early Wednesday morning. Turns out, you are not allowed to bring cameras into the building. So after passing through security, I surrendered my Canon to an officer at the personal property desk in exchange for a yellow slip of paper. I found it somewhat puzzling that they confiscated my camera but let me keep my cell phone and laptop, both of which have cameras of their own. But whatever, I wasn't about to speak up and lose my phone and Macbook. I abided by the spirit of the law, if not the letter, by not using any of the cameras inside the building. Most of the people in the court didn't seem to have brought their senses of humor with them, so I figured I should behave myself as much as possible. The upshot is that I don't really have any jury duty-related photos to share!

After sitting around in a large waiting room for an hour or so, we got to watch a riveting video about jury duty, emcee'd by Ed Bradley and Diane Sawyer! w00t! Then we waited some more. An exasperated court employee (clerk, I think?) talked us through the process of filling out our jury summonses. Then we waited some more. But hey! Free wireless! Could have been a lot worse. Bunches of people got called behind the closed doors, presumably to be questioned for inclusion on a trial. I was not one of them. Then we got dismissed for lunch. I got my camera out of hock and headed outside.

Since the court is located in downtown Brooklyn, an area I haven't spent much time in, I took a stroll at lunchtime to see what I could see, despite the sub-freezing temps. First off, I found a bodega and bought some Excedrin (R) for my aching head. I was intrigued by the claim on the packaging that a drinking cup was included. How can this be, I wondered.


DRINKING CUP INCLUDED

I opened the package and found not a drinking cup, but a small white paper envelope. Maybe the drinking cup is in here, I thought. But no, it was empty. Then I turned the envelope over, and lo and behold! the envelope WAS the drinking cup! Courtesy of Convenience Valet, evidently! Because they were thinking of ME!


thinking of YOU

Awesome, and so useful. Note to Convenience Valet: just because it can hold water for 2 seconds without leaking, it is NOT in fact a drinking cup.

Anyway, I set off sightseeing and saw some lovely buildings, amid quite a lot of decay.


Joseph J. Jacobs Building



this one looks like a castle!


not sure who this golden lady is


such pretty details


specials - delicious


dilapidated roof


1890 - Offerman Building - 1891


nice turret



Old Brooklyn Fire Headquarters

What I did not see was a wealth of food-supplying establishments for my prandial requirements. Stopped at Starbucks for a coffee, then after some more fruitless wandering, ended up joining the construction workers and traffic cops at Mickey D's.


value meal #3 with a Dr. Pepper

Then back to court, for more waiting. A few more people got called in, but still not I. Just before 4pm, another clerk turned up and told us we were going to be dismissed, after they handed us back some paperwork. This clerk was also quite rude, even calling us "a bunch of idiots" at one point. Unprofessional as well as unnecessary. The clerks' attitudes were easily the worst part of the day, at least for me. Anyway, in the words of the Indigo Girls, I got my paper and I was free! I was home by 430pm and am now off the hook for 8 years. Not a bad deal. Aside from the clerks' rudeness, my headache and some post-McD's queasiness, the whole shebang was pretty painless and quick to boot. Really can't complain!