Return from Jury Duty

Thanks to all my loyal readers for your encouragement during my brief stint on jury duty in Morris County, NJ. Conditions have certainly improved in the Jury Assembly Room since Mary's last visit... while they haven't built the health club requested via the suggestion box, there's wireless Internet access for everyone until you're sent away to a criminal or civil courtroom to be considered for a jury.

I know you were all hoping to hear from Roxy the Juror all the juicy details of a shocking murder trial, but I'm back at work after one day and no trial, having narrowly escaped a two week civil trial related to a real estate contract. I have a great deal of respect for the many participants in our country's legal system, but as I sat there among 350 peers, many of whom were excused from the same case, I couldn't help but wonder who has that kind of time to give to their country? I was truly terrified at the thought of not being able to work for two weeks in the current economy, and I could see the same look in many eyes as I scanned the room.


For those of you who had hoped to hear about an interesting legal case, here's a case from the local news that will be coming up for civil trial in the Morris County court system:

Man Says "Psychic" Girlfriend Cheated Him

A New Jersey man has sued a woman he claims cheated him of money that was supposed to be used for a gold statue to cure the "negativity around him."

In a lawsuit filed Monday in Morristown, Charles Silveira of Mendham said that he also bought Ava Miller a house in the town after she said she loved him, The Daily Record reports. He seeks a court order forcing her to vacate the home and barring her from selling it or giving it away.

Silveira in his lawsuit said that he first met Miller on a Web site, www.keen.com. He said that he consulted with her online and then on the telephone.

Miller then allegedly began requesting money, including $15,850 for a trip to a "spiritually significant" place in Florida and a total of around $250,000 for the statue and other expenses, the newspaper reported.

Reached by the newspaper, Miller said she was Silveira's girlfriend.

Michael Mark, Silveira's lawyer, gave a different description of the relationship in court papers.

"His case is a major one," Mark described as Miller's diagnosis in September 2007. "He has negativity around him and she needs money to purchase gold to work on his case."