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Join Woundery Plus in the Woundery app or on Apple Podcasts. In December of 2016, Beth, we're just going to use her first name here, was 33 years old, working as an analyst

at an energy company, the proud owner of a new pet.

I am way dedicated to a puppy that I just got.

It was a massive puppy.

And there's lots of socialization

and I was gonna bring them to work

and I was gonna be doing, you know, right after work, I was going to be taking him to puppy classes and all the stuff.

And like, well, that kind of went out the window.

One afternoon, she walked out to get the mail and saw a jury summons. She didn't think much of it. She'd had a summons before.

A month later, she reported to the King County Courthouse, where the selection process was set to begin.

She still figured she'd be out of there in a few hours,

back to her oversized puppy.

Then she hopped in the elevator

and everything changed.

When you got off the elevator on that floor, it was noticeable that you were somewhere important.

They had like marble walls and fancy name plates and then, we kind of went into the courtroom and I was like oh my

gosh this is a big deal everyone there Beth learned was in the running for a big trial, first degree murder trial,

and if they were selected, they could expect to spend as many as four months in that

the court room. Beth listened as the prosecutors and defense attorneys took turns

questioning the prospective jurors.

Questions intended to gauge the mindset of the jurors.

...