Voir Dire zoom from Hawaii

Postscript: this is from my trial diary of prophylaxis class action against seattle children’s hospital.

 Trial day 3

6:00     Cockadoodle doo.  Wake up. 

6:25     Get up and make bed.

6:45     White T. tan lulu shorts.  Pink crock slides. Pink sweater jacket picked up over the weekend once decided to stay another week.

6:50     Put computer and monitor back on kitchen/living area counter.  Adjust stool.  Close all doors which are usually all open.  Turn off pool fountains. Tell L last chance to use main living area before will be locked out for 3 hours.  He gets more food.  Leaves. Mute phone.  Watch vibrant green Madagascar gecko run around door molding

6:57     Log onto zoom.  Trial is to begin at 7 which is really 9 Seattle time.

7:15     Wait to be let into Judge Rogers’ courtroom.  Assume jurors are late.  Do not sit still.  It is raining outside.  Pull orchid pots out of house so they can get sprinkled.  Get sparkling water.

7:16     We are let in.  One juror has not shown up.  We proceed with the rest.  Judge gives opening instructions and oath.  Andrew does first round.  Jake goes after.  I do second round.  Jake goes after.  Do challenges for cause.    Unless the juror says the magic words:  I cannot be fair an impartial – they stay.  It doesn’t matter if they lean one way or will have a hard time or are uncomfortable.  Magic words are required by Judge R.

10:00   Lunch.  But it’s only 10.  So don’t eat lunch.  Go talk to L.  He’s in the garage which has been his mission these past 2 days.  Currently replacing the hinges on one of the cabinets.  The hinges look like they came from the Titanic after being buried deep within the ocean for a decade.  Big puffy rusted monstrosities.  Ooh and ah over his prowess.  Bring orchids back inside.  Get on computer and start working on other cases.

11:40   Which is 1:40 Seattle time. We return.  Jake wants to question 3 jurors individually.  Judge says what do you think and I agree with 2 not the 3rd and he actually kind of agrees with me.  Do not drop in a dead faint.  Keep mona lisa smile going.  Major technical issues then ensue with the jurors.

12:00   We get started 20 minutes later.  By now Andrew has to go to the bathroom.  So I take the lead with Jake on talking individually to the jurors.  This takes a bit too much time.

12:20   All the jurors return.  Andrew goes.  Then Caitlin goes.  Then I go.  Then Jake goes.  Have known both Jake and Caitlin now for years.  Jake is always in trial, and spends most of his time in voir dire trying the case.  He’s not flashy but gets the job done.  Caitlin has a completely flat affect.  She tries to mirror Jake, but will do better once she can reincorporate her personality back into her trial persona.

2:15     It is now 4:15 in Seattle which is 15 minutes later than Judge Rogers’ courtroom stays open.  But he needs this panel done.  We finish.  They leave.  And then we stay for 15 minutes trying to get jurors off for cause.  Both sides agree that we want the same two off.  Then we get one more.

2:30     Zoom shuts off we will return tomorrow.

2:31     Prophy trial teams meeting.  All’s well.  Hang up.

2:35     Go check on L.  His hinges have been completed and he is going to go for a bike ride.

2:40     Take off sweater jacket.  Open all the doors in the house.  Stretch for a minute

2:45     Return call from Cristina.

2:50     Return call from Kassie.

3:05     Go through 67 emails.

3:40     Redraft this letter, edit this document.  Email with clients and paralegals and attorneys.

4:30     L returns from bikeride.  He went past Olawalu.  Am still working.  Have been texting with Sol about the pain on the outside of my lower leg.  Haven’t run in 3 days.  He says if you walk on your heels does that reproduce the pain.  Et voila.  Tibialis anterior tendon strain.  Google.

4:45     Put on nikes and go for fast walk in neighborhood.  Call Anne she reminds me a motion for summary judgment is due tomorrow.  Am supposed to look at the last draft.  Leave other messages.  Listen to Barbra Streisand’s memoire

5:15     Text L – am home (where’s dinner). 

5:17     Arrive home.  He’s stretching in the zen hut.  Call him.  Say:  am home.  He says give me 15.  But there’s an echo.  He looks around and sees I’m standing right behind him.

5:18     Go back to computer.  Start working on draft.  Furhad calls.  Says use other draft. 

5:30     L begins cooking dinner.  I keep working.

5:40     Push buttons to see if can turn on the hot tub.  It wouldn’t get hot yesterday.

6:00     Dinner is done.  Sweet chili faux chix and green beans over rice.  We bring bowls out to dining hut.  Eat under the three foot Moroccan chandelier flecked with amber stones.  Check hot tub.  It is 77 degree which is the same as the air.  Not hot enough.

6:20     Clear table with L.  Wash dishes.  L takes out garbage and shoos the chickens out of the mango tree which they have turned into an utter poopy mess.  They return.

6:25     Which is 9:25 Seattle time.  Get back on computer.  Finish up editing MSJ.  Send out email.

6:30     Sun goes down.  Work a little more.

Photo: by me