Mortality

I spent all morning in the jury box of the Monroe County Justice Center watching the calendar call of criminal cases. Most of the calendar call was fairly light in tone. No one went to jail. The only change in tone occured when one of the accused fell asleep in the courtroom and elicited the irritation of the judge who sent the sleepy denizen to the back of the courtroom to be tested for drugs or alcohol. Later, he came back, rather sheepishly, and a deputy sheriff handed a piece of paper to the clerk, who handed same to the judge, who told the accused not to fall asleep in his courtroom. Meanwhile, the assistant d. a. I was here to speak with had to leave the courtroom I guess because of recent health problems. The whole drama left me with a sense of my own mortality. There, but for the grace of God, go we.