Courthouse and Spark!

Earlier this week I entered a courthouse for the second time since the onset of the Covid 19 pandemic. Feeling a positive charge from the experience, the visit made me think of the old Joni Mitchell song

The first time was during the pandemic, in the summer of 2020---when I entered a largely vacant Denver courthouse. The matter at hand involved a settlement for young children involved in a gut-wrenching auto collision; the Judge quite rightly wanted to be able to engage directly with the family to make sure they understood the implications of the resolution. Back in 2020, the dearth of people rendered the cavernous proportions of the public building all the more intimidating. The sense of being part of the courthouse community was absent as my “good shoes” clunked noisily down the marble floored hallway.

In the interim, other hearings and status conferences took place through the courtesy of wires and signals. I am more adept at managing these “virtual” events now. At times this virtual reality seems an agile mechanism; other times, not so much.

This week I was particularly self-conscious as I entered a local courthouse. I felt lighter and a bit awkward as I approached the heavy doors, queueing up for security and then making my way for the designated jury assembly room. Alone with my thoughts, I realized that my connection to the courthouse was changed. Not only had a pandemic imposed a “no-go” zone on this most public of places, but my role was radically changed.

A “juror” summons prompted this week’s courthouse visit. I was inhabiting this space as a potential juror, not as an attorney. I did not carry the weight of exhibit notebooks or pleadings. I was not responsible for anticipating a judge’s questions and mood. My professional skills would not be challenged. I did not have the anxiety of being ill-prepared or disorganized. I need not worry about wardrobe or presentation. Fundamentally, I was not afraid I would let down my clients.

To be honest, it felt good to be unencumbered, a “civilian” so to speak.

Significant, too, was the welcome “return” of a courthouse peopled with the various individuals who do their best each day: the woman who managed and informed the jury pool in a cheerful, patient manner; the residents who dutifully responded to their summons; the attorneys for both sides, keen to do their best; the judge and her staff, seeking to professionally and courteously manage the trial.

I was excused for service on the jury, but am all the better for having participated in the proceedings. Thank you, everybody, for showing up---literally and figuratively--- at the courthouse.