"...and Sam Ward?"
"Yeah, that's me."
"Okay, great. That's everyone. I'll let the judge know you're ready, the bailiff will summon you in a moment." The clerk checked something off on her notepad, then left the room. Sam looked at the eleven other people standing around. Definitely a diverse bunch - 6 men, 6 women, a few different races, and a whole range of ages.
They really do cast a wide net for these things, Sam thought to himself. On the other side of the room, a particularly ravishing blonde caught his eye (Emma something-or-other, he thought the clerk had said during roll call). He made a mental note not to get too distracted - he'd been watching enough true-crime documentaries that he sure didn't want to be the next guy to lock up an innocent man (or let a psychopath go free)! No, this was his duty as a citizen and he was going to take it seriously.
But maybe he could get her number once this was all over.
The door creaked open and a tall man in a police uniform called out for the whole court to hear: "All rise for the jury!"
The twelve shuffled through the door one at a time, filing into their seats along the wall. The courtroom itself was fairly spartan - nothing fancy. The judge watched patiently, wizened eyes seemingly in command of the whole space.
Sam wondered what the hell this case was even about. Nobody had given them much information so far - presumably to keep them from forming a biased opinion. As he found his seat, he started to scan the courtroom. Whatever this case was about, he had a feeling deep down that it definitely wouldn't be boring.
