Jefferson Parish 24th District Court

I normally grade things on a scale; for instance, if I go to a McDonald’s that is super clean and efficient and everyone is helpful and friendly then I might give it 4 stars because it’s a great example of McDonald’s. That doesn’t mean that McDonald’s is as good as Redemption, which I gave 4 stars. I know it’s complicated, but hey, you’re getting this for free. That said, I was pretty impressed with the 24^th Circuit Court, it was leagues better than anywhere else I’ve been for Jury duty. I would like to give the actual facilities and people who work there 4 stars, but I can’t because 4 stars would mean I’m a fan and I am certainly NOT a fan of Jury Duty.
Review of Facilities and Employees — 4 stars
Everything is clean and very nice. Parking is provided and most people are very helpful and understand that Jury duty isn’t a fun thing. The ladies working in the Jury waiting room were very friendly and can answer any general questions you may have. There are tables with built in chargers for all iPhones and Galaxy type phones as well as 2 other connections I didn’t recognize. There are also plenty of power outlets. You may want to bring your own phone charger if you plan on using your phone a lot since you can’t use your phone while you use the built in chargers. They also provide cat5 cables in case you don’t have wifi on your laptop. There is a free coffee bar with several types of coffee and flavored creams as well as free bottled water. There is a TV so you can watch the morning show or catch up on your stories. There’s a café in the lobby that actually smelled pretty good, but I didn’t go there because I brought my lunch with me.
Review of being a Juror — NO RATING — IT IS YOUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY, COMMIE
I thought I would type up a quick review of being a possible Juror in case someone has to go and has no idea what to expect. Expect to be there all day. You may get sent home early, but don’t plan on it. Pack accordingly. Show up around 8:30ish and go through a metal detector. Do not bring any guns, knives, explosives or drugs. They are super serious about that. I had to leave to put my boot knife back in my car. The Juror’s lobby is down the big hall, past the café and though the big door on the left. Once you get in you have to check in with the Juror’s desk which is to your immediate left. They will sign you in, remove your name from the «arrest immediately» list and give you a little booklet about how the juror’s pool works. Read the booklet, it let’s you know what’s going on and will kill like 10 minutes. Coffee and water and some vending machines are in the opposite corner of the room from the front desk. Get your self some coffee and settle down next to someone who doesn’t look too stinky or crazy. Now kill time. At some point they will (probably) start calling names, if they call your name then you will line up just outside of the room to be taken to a court room. If they don’t, then just keep killing time. If you end up in a court room they will call out another 18 names. If you get called then you move from the back of the courtroom into the actual courtroom where the judge and all of the attorneys get to ask you questions. This can take a while. After the questioning is done you will either be selected to be a juror or not. If you are selected then you get to make one last phone call before the case starts. If you are not selected then you return to the Juror’s pool where all of this can happen again. Everyone knows that jury duty sucks so they try not to keep you any longer than necessary, but sometimes they keep potential jurors until 10pm, so be aware that this could happen to you. If you are actually selected to be a juror then the case could be several days long, but they’ll let you know about that before you’re selected. Good luck and God speed.

Today was my second time having to go to Jury Duty and it wasn’t so bad. Make sure to bring your own snacks because the little café doesn’t have much to buy.
When you walk in you have to put everything through an X-​ray machine and you need to go through a metal detector. The officer running the machine thought my lipsticks were weird and looked at them for a while but luckily didn’t find them a threat.
They do have wireless but it is password protected — just get the password from the front desk.
There is usually a TV on but today it was broken — bring earphones if you find loud TVs annoying.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve been summoned to the juror’s lounge. Obviously since before the renovation. The new room is a big difference from my memory of the last time. The old room was drab, almost beaten up looking. It felt as if you were being punished for doing your civic duty. Eight hours in the old room was an eternity. The new lounge is clean and spacious. It didn’t feel crowded. There were comfortable (relatively speaking) chairs, at least padded. In fact there were even some recliners in the back corner, but I wasn’t early enough to get one. Plus there are several tables large enough for four people to have laptops open. Along another wall was a row of counter style work areas with outlets. And the wi-​fi is free. Just ask the clerk at the counter for the password. Validated parking is provided in the adjacent parking garage, if you follow instructions. It is still a potential 8 hour ordeal, but at least it is more tolerable environment. The good news, for whatever reason, there was no need for jurors today and I got to go home early.

Wow. Our tax dollars sure paid for a nice courthouse. This place is so much nicer than the old place.
There are metal detectors at the entrance so be prepared to empty all your metal into a bin for xrays.
One additional tip is to be polite and professional when dealing with your judge. If your rude you may end up writing a review of the nearby Jefferson Parish Jail.