Getting current

If you've been reading this blog, especially this year, you know I was involved from January until May 2 with jury duty. I wasn't able to talk about the case as it was unfolding, but now that the trial is over and the sentencing was handed out (today), I am now permitted to speak about it. The case itself was a very high-profile murder case from June 2008 and it happened right here in my neighborhood—the Excelsior District of San Francisco. On that Sunday afternoon, two gang members mistook a father and his three sons as rival gang members. The murderers opened fire into the victim's car, killing the father and two of his three sons, who were all returning to their home from a family gathering in the East Bay. Even though I was an alternate juror, I had to appear each and every day testimony was given so that I would be able to deliberate should the need arise (it didn't). My fellow jurors convicted the defendant of the three murders and one attempted murder. His was sentenced to 182 consecutive years without possibility of parole for those murders. I was in the gallery of the court this morning as sentencing was read by the judge. I had the opportunity to meet the widow, who hugged me and thanked me for my jury service, though she did realize I had not been involved in deliberation. But I did tell her that I thought my "big 12" had gotten it right and she agreed.

The reason I was able to go to court this morning was due to the fact that I was quite ill last week with a combination cold/flu, so bad that I had to cancel my trip to Seattle over the past weekend. My only niece, Rachel, was getting married on Saturday but I was not able to attend. That was quite a bummer as I had been looking forward to it ever since I had received her "hold the date" card earlier in the year. So instead of flying back from Seattle today, I went to court to get my closure on the trial. I'm still suffering with the head cold part of my illness and I'm just resting the rest of the day.