Letter to the Editor- Wellington- I want to serve but Mendo Courts make it much harder for jurors than need be
Dear Editor,
I finally made it to jury duty in Ukiah on Monday because they said they were no longer allowing anyone to get out of it because of distance. There were over 150 of us (many from the coast) at 9 am waiting for a felony trial that never happened because the defendant got chest pains, but by that time, the 1 o’clock group had already come in for a misdemeanor charge and there were people filling the room and the chairs down the hall up the stairs around the corner and down the hall there weren’t enough chairs provided and I even heard one guard ask someone to stop sitting on the steps, and then at around 2 we were all sent home. I also talked to 2 other folks near me who had relatives who lived in Ukiah and were sent to Fort Bragg for a trial. And down the street in the parking lot I talked to a man from Gualala who had sent back his summons because he can’t remember things and they said no you have to show up. And he did, and they sent him home five minutes later, that’s not very efficient. To be honest, I would’ve liked to be part of a jury, but not driving an hour and a half each way and not having my time considered.
Erin Wellington
Fort Bragg
