today was the first time i’ve ever been summoned for jury duty for a criminal trial at the hall of justice on bryant st. i’ve always been assigned to the civil courthouse which has been renovated and is kinda fancy, almost opulent. on the contrary, the criminal courthouse was a depressing place, seemingly neglected & dilapidated with bailiffs escorting defendants in handcuffs down the hallways. i counted approx 8 bail bonds places across the street, many door to door.

around the corner alley there were even more. there was one called “helena bail bonds” with a girly sign with multicolor blinking lights that i wish i took a picture of.

i dodged the 8 week trial but had to be pinged back into the jury pool for another trial. that one came to resolution before the jury selection process and i got dismissed. i’m glad. i can read about it in books or watch it on a screen, but i sometimes feel physically ill when i hear about details of real life violence. i think criminal cases in general are inherently depressing.