Despite not getting seated that day, I was blessed that my Jury Coordinator was Ms. Tallent, who was most convivial in talking with a pesky student reporter.Ms. Tallent, born and raised in Lawton, Ok., has been working for the county for twelve and one-half years. Ms. Smith recruited her from a Doctor’s office and she’s been here ever since.
When she started, she only knew about courts from serving as a juror. Questions like “Why are there 12 jurors on a jury?” had plagued her. So Carlene, ever the professional, did the research.
Nowadays, save for Ms. Smith, you’re not liable to find another person who knows as much about the courts. Indeed, Ms. Tallent had an answer for just about every question I threw at her.
For example, the badges they give with your name on them. Why can’t you take them off in public? To protect you from liability, in case someone tries to talk to you about a case. It serves as a friendly warning, sort of a “Beware of Juror”. Then there are the stories.
Like the time when someone showed up in PJ bottoms saying “Your dress requirement is business casual. I work at home and this is what I wear.” Or the time a friendly old man who had a big date began leave the courtroom at 5, assuring the judge that he had Ms. Tallent’s permission to do so.
Morbid little guy that I am, the stories I liked most were the murder ones. (See link)
It’s hard to disagree when Ms. Tallent says that at the court house “No two days are ever the same.” It hardly seems like one day is ever the same. But you don’t work over a decade at the court house without knowing what the jurors are thinking.
To those folks aggravated about being called, Ms. Tallent has some practical advice: “It’s a requirement. No one wants to do it. But it’s one of the few rights we have left. And you don’t want to lose it.”
Well, I hadn’t thought of it like that!
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